Topaz Sunset
by TwilightHayley
Summary: The Cullens are new to town and Bella befriends them. But with hidden dangers and life-changing news ahead, it's only a matter of time before their friendship is put to the test. AU ExB
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, this is the start of the re-write of 'Topaz Sunset!' The dialogue is pretty much the same, I just added much more description. **

**Hope you enjoy reliving my AU version of 'Twilight' with me!**

* * *

High School.

Just thinking of the word gave me a strange sense of foreboding. My father's yell of "Have a good day at school Bells!" as he left the house only made my apprehension worse.

In a matter of minutes, my senior year would begin. And that was scary. Terrifying, in fact.

This year could change everything. It _would_ change everything. I had no idea what was in store, but I did know that the year ahead was going to be stressful, with every student determined to succeed so that they could graduate. That meant competition for college places, which meant hard entrance exams, which meant even harder exams at school to achieve the grades…

Groaning, I reached into one of the kitchen cupboards to pull out a granola bar. Ripping it out of its packet seemed to give me some satisfaction, and I ate it quickly.

Until I thought about the event before graduation. Prom.

I let out another groan, and threw the granola bar packet towards the bin. It didn't even make it halfway to its destination, and I watched it fall to the floor forlornly.

Prom was a ridiculous event. Whoever thought it was the best way to celebrate leaving school deserved to be institutionalised. At least, in my opinion. None of my friends seemed to agree with me. Jessica was already searching for her perfect prom dress.

She'd been astounded when I told that her that I wasn't going to go. The biggest klutz in Forks would never escape from Prom unharmed, and as I currently held that title, that event was out. And so was the School's Christmas Dance.

My train of thought was broken when I caught sight of the time shown on the kitchen clock. School started in twenty-seven minutes, and if I didn't get a move on, I was going to be late.

After picking up my school bag, I hurried out of the house, stumbling on the porch step as I made my way towards my truck. It was a typical day in Forks: cloudy and cold. What a surprise.

Shivering, I opened my truck door and clambered in, relieved to be inside and concealed from the cool breeze. Immediately, I switched the engine on and turned the truck heaters up. Despite the truck being decades old, the heating still functioned, thankfully.

It was days like this that made me sometimes miss Phoenix. My Mom Renee remarried last year, so I'd moved to Forks to stay with my father, Charlie, who was chief of police here. The move was only supposed to be temporary while Renee and her new husband Phil had some time to themselves, but I quickly fell into a routine here, and didn't want to leave.

The weather was horrible, and everything was too green, but Forks was my home.

I couldn't help but smile as I began to drive down my road, towards the direction of the highway, admiring the green forest that engulfed the street. Despite my distaste for the greenery, even _I_ had to admit that the scenery was beautiful.

Once I was on the highway, I accelerated as much as my truck would allow. Due to its age, it couldn't exceed 55mph, and cars easily overtook me as I drove along.

A blue Ford drove up to me in the lane opposite, and I waved at the occupants, recognising it to be Jessica's car immediately. Mike, Jessica's boyfriend, was in the front seat, and her best friend Lauren was sitting in the backseat with her boyfriend, Tyler.

Jessica and the boys waved back at me, giving me friendly smiles, but Lauren glared. I returned her hostile gaze with a glare of my own.

Everyone knew about Lauren's dislike of me. It made lunchtime awkward at times, seeing as we sat at the same table, sharing the same group of friends.

Jessica noticed the tension instantly, and she quickly accelerated ahead of me, putting me in her rear-view mirror.

Shaking my head slightly, I followed her car to the turn-off for the school. The gloom I'd felt earlier about school returned, and I sighed. Jessica parked near the entrance, but the spaces there weren't large enough for my truck, so I drove further on.

And then I saw a silver Volvo in my usual parking space. Frowning, I pulled up alongside it slowly, not wanting to scratch the silver paint. My truck could have easily made scrap metal of it, and I laughed quietly at the thought.

Once I'd exited my truck, I headed towards the school, but not before looking back over my shoulder to examine the Volvo as discretely as I could. Either there was a new student at the school, or one of the students had upgraded their old car. That was unlikely though; everyone was pretty much in the same league here.

As I approached the school entrance, I saw Jessica waiting for me. Mike, Tyler and Lauren had already entered the school.

"Bella!" Jessica squealed, as if she hadn't seen me minutes before, and she bounded over to me to throw her arms around me.

I chuckled quietly, and returned her hug. "Hey Jess, happy to see me?"

Pulling away, Jessica grinned, and nodded her head, her long brown curls bouncing with the movement. "Of course I am. I barely saw you during the summer! Where were you? Mike and I invited you out, like, loads!"

I shrugged my shoulders ruefully. "Well, I didn't want to be a third wheel. And I was hanging out with Jacob quite a lot."

Jessica's eyes lit up at that, and I knew immediately what she was thinking. "So is Jacob—"

"No." My voice was firm. "Absolutely not. He's one of my best friends, you know that. He's like the brother I never had."

"Mike and I used to be friends, and look at us now." Jessica remarked, and I didn't miss what she was implying.

"Jessica, I'm not interested in having a boyfriend." I told her flatly, resisting the urge to roll my eyes as I walked through the school entrance.

"Okay, chill!" I heard Jessica laugh, and she caught up with me. "You know I'm just kidding around."

Eying her doubtfully, we began to head towards the language corridor, as we had Spanish first. "Sure you are." I muttered, but Jessica was no longer listening to me, already bored of the topic of our conversation.

"So, have you heard the gossip about the new students yet?" She asked me as we entered the classroom.

"Jess, we've only been at school for about five minutes. How could there be gossip already?" I asked her in disbelief, sitting down at one of desks at the back of the classroom.

"It was all over Facebook. You'd know about it if you had an account. Apparently there are five new students starting today, in our year." Jessica told me, sliding into the chair beside mine. "They're all adopted siblings, or something like that. But there's more."

Now I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes. As much as I liked Jessica, her gossiping habit was rather annoying. "What?" I sighed, not even bothering to pretend that I was interested in her conversation.

"I saw three of them yesterday, in town, and I was amazed. Like, completely blown away."

That caught my interest. Jessica barely paid attention to anyone outside of our friendship group, and usually ignored new students, with the exception of myself. "What do you mean?" I asked her curiously.

"They were hot! Like, model hot." She told me, her eyes wide as she recalled her encounter. "One of them was a girl with blonde hair. She was stunning. And the other were two guys, one really muscular, and one with this weird colour hair. He was easily the best-looking." And then she paused, and grabbed my arm. "Bella, I think I'm in love!"

Jessica always did have flair for dramatics. "Right." I said dryly, prising her hand off my arm. "Have you forgotten that you have a boyfriend?"

"Mike shmike." Jessica said airily. "If that guy was interested in me, Mike and I would be over. No kidding. You didn't _see_ him Bella! He's incredible."

My eyebrows rose. Jessica had never reacted this way over a guy before. Maybe the new students were _something._

Before I could reply to Jessica, our Spanish teacher walked into the classroom, followed by two people I didn't recognise, a boy and a girl.

Jessica grabbed my arm again. "They must be the other two students!" She hissed in my ear. "It's not fair, they shouldn't be _that _good-looking. They must be weird."

"You shouldn't make assumptions like that Jessica." I muttered, frowning at her slightly. "You don't even know them."

Pouting, Jessica took her hand away from my arm, and I turned my head to look at the new students again.

It couldn't be denied that they were beautiful. Both of them had the same, smooth, pale skin, yet their hair colour differentiated, the girl had short, dark hair, and the guy was blonde. There was a difference in their size too; the girl was petite, and the guy easily towered over her, being a good foot and a half taller than her.

The guy was looking intently at the floor, his brow furrowed, and the girl was gazing around the classroom, meeting the gaze of each and every student.

When her eyes fell on my desk, Jessica muttered, "Weirdo," and looked away quickly. I frowned, and then met the new girl's gaze. I tried to mask my shock at the sight of her golden eyes, having never seen an eye colour like that before, so I gave her a small smile, wanting to put her at ease.

The girl looked stunned by my smile, and the surprise remained on her face for a couple of seconds, before her expression brightened, and she beamed at me.

The guy beside her looked up then, and I noticed he had the same eye colour as the girl. When he saw our smiles, his topaz eyes widened.

I looked down then, embarrassed.

"Hola chicos y chicas!" My Spanish teacher announced, stepping forward to address the class. "Tenemos dos alumnos nuevos!"

She then gestured for the new students to introduce themselves, and the girl spoke first. "Buenos mañana, me llamo Alice!" She chimed happily, giving the class a wave.

"Me llamo Jasper." The guy said immediately after her, his tone bored, before he looked back down at the floor.

"Emo." Jessica muttered, and Jasper's head shot up to look at her.

She flushed instantly, knowing that she hadn't said that quietly, and I sighed. "Don't judge him Jess, it's his first day at a new school." I said to her softly. "Do you remember how bad my introduction was?"

"Of course I do. Bit hard to forget you blushing like a tomato when you tripped over a chair leg and landed flat on your face!" Jessica chortled, and my face flamed.

Looking away from her, I turned my gaze to the new students, who were walking towards the desk next to us. Jessica nudged me, but I didn't acknowledge her.

Once they were seated, Alice turned her head to look at me, as her seat was next to mine. "Hi!" She exclaimed, her eyes bright with excitement. "What's your name?"

"Bella." I said quietly, smiling at her exuberance. "It's nice to meet you Alice."

"Likewise!" She squealed, and she bounced a little in her seat. Jasper placed a hand on her shoulder, and her movement ceased.

I felt Jessica lean forward next to me, and she smiled at them. "I'm Jessica." She told them.

Alice nodded at her, but immediately turned her head to look at me again. "Bella, this is my boyfriend Jasper."

"Hi Jasper." I said, smiling at him when he looked at me.

"Hello Bella." He replied softly, his smile shy. He didn't bother to acknowledge Jessica.

"You two are boyfriend and girlfriend and you're related!" Jessica exclaimed, and I glanced at her to see her eyes glinting; that piece of news would be all over school by lunchtime. "That's so weird!"

Alice's smile became cool. "We're related by law, not by blood." She reminded her coldly. "My brother Emmett is with Rosalie, Jasper's sister. It's not weird."

"But you live in the same house!" Jessica protested. "So it _is_ weird!"

Alice pursed her lips, and I could see she was annoyed. Not wanting there to be tension on her first day of school, I quickly changed the subject. "So, I've heard that there are five of you." I commented, and Alice's smile returned.

"Yes. I have another brother; Edward."

"Is he the one with the bronze hair?" Jessica asked, and at Alice's nod, she sighed. "He is _so_ hot. Is he single?"

Alice's eyes flickered to mine, and I had to smother a laugh at her exasperated expression. She must get that question about her brother a lot. "He is, but he doesn't date." She told Jessica firmly.

"Too bad." Jessica murmured, and she quickly lost interest in Alice and Jasper, choosing to flick through her Spanish textbook instead of continuing the conversation.

Before I could start up another conversation with Alice, our teacher began the lesson.

~I~

Thankfully, the lesson went by quickly. Spanish wasn't my favourite lesson, but it was mandatory for me to take it, as the language would benefit me in the future. I wanted to study French at College, and taking Spanish alongside it would help my application.

"I'll see you later Bella." Jessica said to me, leaving the desk before I could reply.

As I was putting my books in my bag, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I looked up, and saw Alice grinning at me. "What lesson do you have next?" She asked me.

"English." I replied, picking up my bag.

"Us too!" And then to my surprise, she looped her arm through mine. I wasn't the only one who was shocked, Jasper looked stunned too. "You'll be able to meet Emmett and Rosalie then, they have English now too."

I could only nod in reply as she began to tow me out of the classroom. Jasper followed behind us.

Alice already knew her way around the school, and she told me that as we walked to English. She also chatted about how excited she was about starting at the school, and I couldn't help but feel astounded by her giddiness. I'd never met anyone quite like her.

But I knew that I liked her. And she seemed to like me too, because she suddenly stopped mid-flow to announce, "We're going to be great friends Bella. I know it."

I smiled back at her, thrilled by her comment, and thrilled that I was her first friend at the school.

Beaming, Alice pulled me into the English classroom, and I immediately saw my friend, Angela, sitting at one of the desks. When she saw me, she rose from her seat and waved, and Alice released my arm so that I could go over to greet her.

"Hey Bella." Angela said warmly, embracing me.

"Hey Angela. Ready for double English?" I asked playfully, pulling back to grin at her.

"Absolutely. Highlight of my day." Angela said dryly, and I laughed.

"Hi!" Alice exclaimed from behind me, and I turned to see her standing at the desk beside Angela's, with Jasper next to her. "I'm Alice, and this is my boyfriend Jasper. You're one of Bella's friends, aren't you?"

Angela nodded shyly, giving her a timid smile. I could see she was overwhelmed by Alice's liveliness. "Yes, I'm Angela. It's nice to meet you both."

Jasper returned her shy smile with one of his own, and Alice beamed. "And this is Emmett and Rosalie." She announced, gesturing behind Angela and I.

Turning around, we saw a beautiful, statuesque blonde approaching us, holding hands with a tall, muscular guy with dark hair. Their eyes and complexion mirrored Alice and Jasper's exactly.

"Hi." I greeted them, smiling. "I'm Bella Swan."

The guy, Emmett, grinned. "'Sup Bella?"

His girlfriend, Rosalie, studied me for a moment, long enough to make me feel self-conscious, before giving me a small smile.

"And I'm Angela."

Emmett greeted her the same way that he'd greeted me, but Rosalie didn't look at her, still regarding me curiously.

I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, and she smiled slightly again, before looking away.

Relieved, I sat down in the chair beside Angela, and Alice and Jasper sat down at the desk next to ours. Emmett bounded over to the desk in front of theirs, and Rosalie joined him.

They began to murmur amongst themselves then, and I looked away to be polite, and began a conversation with Angela.

Just as she was about to tell me about the trip her boyfriend Ben had taken her on in the summer, Rosalie suddenly turned her head to look at me again. To my surprise, she gave me a warm, wide smile.

I couldn't help but grin back, and she turned back to her family, still smiling.

Angela looked confused, and I shrugged my shoulders at her, not understanding what had just happened either.

Now I felt silly for dreading school earlier. The whirlwind introduction to the Cullens had already brightened the school day, even though I still hadn't met the last member of their family, Edward.

Maybe the year ahead wouldn't be as bad as what I'd thought it would be.


	2. Chapter 2

English passed quickly, much like Spanish had, and lunchtime soon approached. The Cullens followed Angela and I out of the classroom, and Alice hurried up to us so that she could link her arm through mine again.

As we walked through the corridor towards the direction of the cafeteria, I didn't miss the stares from other students as they walked past us. It didn't seen to affect the Cullens, but Angela and I quickly grew uncomfortable.

We both shared confused glances, neither of us knowing why we were suddenly the spectacle of the school.

It dawned on me moments later that no one was staring at us: they were staring at the Cullens. Clearly they'd had a huge impact on the school already.

When we entered the cafeteria, the stares got worse. Alice ignored everyone's probing gaze as she scanned the cafeteria eagerly, before turning to smile at me. "So, where do we sit?"

"Don't you want to get lunch first?" I asked, nodding my head towards the lunch queue.

Alice actually looked appalled by my question. "Oh no. Definitely not. We don't eat— during the day, that is. We have a large dinner with out parents after school."

"It must be nice to have a big family meal." I commented sincerely as we made our way towards the lunch queue. "Charlie's version of a family meal is a take-away."

"Charlie? You call your father by his first name?" Jasper asked. It was the most I'd heard him speak.

I nodded sheepishly, surprised that he'd picked up on it. "And Renee too. Of course, I say 'Mom' and 'Dad' in front of them, but I usually refer to them using their first names elsewhere."

Emmett's head tilted slightly. "Are you adopted too?" He wondered, but I could tell he was joking by the mischievous grin on his face.

His girlfriend didn't seem to find his question funny, and she elbowed him sharply. "Don't be so rude Em!"

"No, I'm not adopted." I said quickly, before Emmett could respond to Rosalie. "It's funny though, Renee always jokes that I'm the adult out of the two of us because I'm a lot more responsible than her. She's more like my sister than my mother."

Realising I'd said too much, I stopped, and took a deep breath. Suddenly I felt a pang of sadness—it had been a long time since I'd spoken to my mother and heard her voice. Emails between us weren't always enough.

"Do you miss her?" Alice asked softly, and I blinked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning slightly. I hadn't told her that my parents were divorced and that she didn't live in the same state—had I?

"Well, from the tone of your voice, it sounds like you rarely see your Mom." Alice remarked, her eyes sad.

"Observant." I replied quietly, giving her a wry smile. "My parents are divorced, so yes, I do miss her. A lot. I haven't seen her in over a year."

I felt a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and looked up to see Angela giving me a sympathetic smile. She knew how much I missed Renee.

Everyone was silent as we neared the front of the queue, until Alice spoke up. "So, what are you going to eat?" She asked me cheerfully, gesturing towards the food options. I was grateful that she hadn't continued the conversation about Renee.

In answer to her question, I picked up a pizza slice and a bottle of water, and made my way towards the till at the end to pay for my lunch.

"Nothing else?" Alice said doubtfully, and she relinquished her hold on me so that I could lead everyone over to my lunch table.

"I'm not really hungry." I told her as we walked. "Besides, most of the cafeteria food isn't edible anyway."

Alice's peal of laughter attracted more stares from students.

Ignoring the stares, I stopped next to my lunch table, which was situated directly in front of the other set of cafeteria doors. Mike, Jessica, Ben, Eric, Tyler and Lauren were sitting there already, but there was plenty of room for Angela and I, and the Cullens too.

Most of my friends looked shocked that the Cullens were with Angela and I, except Ben, who remained composed. "Hi." He greeted them, waving his hand, the one that didn't hold his comic book. "I'm Ben. Welcome to Forks."

After the Cullens thanked him, Angela took a seat beside him, and I sat down next to her. "You guys don't mind if the Cullens sit with us, do you?" I asked them, though I knew it wouldn't be a problem.

"Absolutely not!" Jessica replied excitedly. Alice immediately sat down in the chair next to mine, and the other Cullens sat as well. "Where's your brother Alice?"

"Right here!" Emmett stated loudly, and Jessica jumped at the sound of his voice.

Alice erupted into giggles, and she reached across Jasper to smack Emmett playfully. "My _other_ brother will be here soon." She told her as she straightened up.

"So, introduce us then Bella!" Eric demanded, and when I met his gaze, I noticed he was staring intently at Rosalie. Emmett noticed his stare, and quickly wrapped his arm around Rosalie's shoulders. She rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, but didn't call him out on his possessiveness.

"Sure. Everyone, this is Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie." I said, gesturing to each one in turn.

Most of my friends murmured a greeting to them, but Lauren remained stoically silent. _No surprise there_.

I began to introduce the Cullens to the group then, purposefully leaving Lauren last, and she narrowed her eyes at me. "And finally, that's Tyler, and his girlfriend Lauren." I finished, relieved to have finished the introductions.

Lauren straightened up in her seat. "It's Lauren Mallory actually." She said with a sniff.

Alice's dainty eyebrows rose at her snobbish tone. "Do you usually ask people to call you by your first name _and_ surname?" She asked her innocently, and Lauren's face flushed.

Grinning, Alice met my gaze. "Alice one, Lauren zero." She whispered, which made me laugh. I was glad that she didn't seem to think much of Lauren either.

Jessica's loud sigh drew everyone away from their conversations, and we all looked over to see her looking backwards and forwards between the cafeteria doors, no doubt watching out for Edward.

Alice was clearly thinking along the same lines as me. "Edward won't be here for another five minutes." She remarked, her tone confident.

Jessica reluctantly tore her eyes away from the doors to glance at her. "And how do you know that?" She asked snidely.

Alice shrugged her shoulders, but her smile was smug. "I just know."

"Edward told us that he was going to ring Carlisle to tell him about our first day." Jasper spoke up, taking Alice's hand and lacing his fingers through hers. The two shared a look, and I looked away, not wanting to intrude on a moment between them.

"So," I began, but I never had the chance to continue, as Lauren quickly cut in.

"So Emmett, how are you finding your first day?" She asked him, and the flirtatious nature in her tone was obvious to everyone, including Tyler, who frowned at his girlfriend.

"It's fine." Emmett replied curtly, and I wasn't the only one who grinned at his abruptness; Alice did too.

Rosalie looked furious though, and she glared at Lauren, who quickly cast her eyes away. Emmett chuckled, and Rosalie pushed her chair closer to his, her eyes never leaving Lauren's face.

So Lauren, being Lauren, turned her attention to Jasper. "How about you Jasper? Is your day going well?"

Now it was Alice's turn to glare at her.

"It's going well so far." Jasper said quietly, his eyes never straying from Alice's.

Defeated, Lauren slumped down in her seat, and her boyfriend smirked.

"Three minutes." Jessica announced, and Mike rolled his eyes.

"Why are you so excited about meeting Edward?" He asked her, his eyes narrowing.

Jessica smiled, as if to appease him, but it didn't work. Mike knew exactly what she was thinking. "All you've talked about today is him!" He hissed, glaring at her. "I'm your boyfriend Jess! How do you think I feel, listening to you hammering on about him?"

"Calm down." Jessica said soothingly, but Mike wouldn't be placated.

"If he even _thinks_ about going near you, I'll kill him!"

I winced at the fury in his voice, and Jessica looked bewildered. "You'd hurt him if he came onto me?" She asked. "Oh Mike, that's so sweet!"

I caught Angela's eye, and she rolled her eyes at me. I sniggered.

"I kind of want Edward to come onto Jessica now." Emmett remarked, and everyone turned to look at him, myself included. "You'd have no chance against Edward, Mike. Hell, you wouldn't even have a chance against Alice!"

The table erupted into laughter, and Alice nodded her head in agreement.

Mike didn't find Emmett's comment as funny as the rest of us, and his nostrils flared. I wasn't surprised by his reaction; men hated anyone trying to deflate their ego. "Yeah right." He said scornfully. "I say, bring it on."

Emmett grinned, rising to the challenge, and he flexed his biceps.

Seeing the size of his muscles, Mike blanched, and he quickly backed down. "On second thoughts, I'm over it." He said quickly, and he laughed along with everyone else.

Rosalie's hand began to travel up her boyfriend's arm, and she squeezed his bicep. "Your muscles come in handy, don't they Em?" She murmured, and Jasper and Alice both groaned.

Emmett ignored his siblings, and grinned at his girlfriend. "Why's that Rose?"

"And the conversation stops there!" Alice announced, reaching across Jasper to hit her brother again.

At his yelp, I quickly took a bite out of my pizza, in an attempt to stop myself from laughing out loud.

When Alice straightened up in her seat, she looked over at the set of doors on the other side of the cafeteria. "Look who's arrived." She murmured, grinning.

Jessica immediately followed her gaze, and I looked around too, only to be struck speechless.

There were simply no words in existence that could describe Edward Cullen. The terms 'attractive' and 'beautiful' didn't give his appearance any justice.

He was stunning.

Like his siblings, he had a white complexion, and his eyes were a golden topaz. He was tall; the same height as Emmett and Jasper, and his bronze hair was dishevelled, as if he'd been running his hands through it continuously.

I wasn't the only girl in the cafeteria who noticed him. Most girls were openly staring.

Not wanting to be one of those girls, I turned away, and focused on my pizza.

"Wow." I heard Lauren murmur, and for once, I agreed with her.

I didn't look up until he stopped beside the table, by Emmett. "Hello." He said quietly, greeting everyone at the table.

I noticed that Jessica had started to fan herself with her hand, and Lauren was primping her hair. Mike and Tyler didn't look too happy by their behaviour.

Alice beamed at her brother, and he returned her smile. "Everyone, this is Ed—"

Two things happened simultaneously.

Alice suddenly stiffened in her seat, her face a mask of horror, and the cafeteria doors behind us flew open, sending in a large gust of wind. Ben's comic book was blown out of his hand and my hair, along with the other girls, whipped around my head. Lauren and Jessica both shrieked, and immediately began to pat down their hair.

However, I was more concerned by the expression on Alice's face. "Are you okay?" I asked her, hesitantly reaching out to her with my hand, not knowing what to do.

When she didn't acknowledge my question, I quickly looked around at her siblings to see if they had noticed their sister's expression. But only Rosalie was sitting there, looking worried. Their brothers had gone.

I wasn't the only one who realised that they'd vanished. My friends looked confused too.

Then Alice shifted in her seat, and I looked back at her to see that her upset expression had gone. "Edward was going to be sick." She whispered, her eyes anxious. "Emmett and Jasper had to take him outside."

"We should go to them." Rosalie murmured, rising to her feet. And then she paused, and looked at me. "Do you mind if we leave?"

"Of course not, your brother needs you." I told her, gesturing for them to follow him.

"Thanks Bella." Rosalie gave me a grateful smile, before whirling around and walking out of the cafeteria.

"I'm sorry about what just happened." Alice said to me quietly, still looking concerned.

"Hey, don't worry. It's not your fault your brother is unwell." I told her, smiling at her reassuringly. "Go and find him, and tell him to get well soon."

Her answering smile was dazzling. "Thank you Bella. I'll see you later."

After embracing me, which surprised me, she rose to her feet and hurried out of the cafeteria.

"Weird, aren't they?" Jessica remarked, the moment the cafeteria door shut behind Alice.

I frowned, feeling defensive of my new friends. "I didn't think so. They're really nice people."

"They're _really_ weird." Lauren said, ignoring me as she answered her best friend.

Gritting my teeth, I turned to Ben, who was examining the pages of his comic book. "Did your comic survive the freak wind?" I asked him jokingly, and he looked up to grin at me.

"Just about. One of the pages is creased, but it's nothing too serious." He replied, looking relieved.

Angela laughed at her boyfriend, and then leaned over to ruffle his hair affectionately.

I looked away from their exchange, and glanced over at the cafeteria doors, wondering if Edward was okay. I was tempted to go after the Cullens, but I managed to resist the urge to leave the table, and I turned my attention to my pizza instead.

~I~

After lunchtime was over, it was time for my last lesson of the day: French.

Both Tyler and Mike had French with me, so we walked to the classroom together. They were arguing about who was going to sit where, so I quickly settled the argument by offering to sit by myself, allowing them to sit together. They agreed, but they insisted on sitting at the table in front of me so that they could talk to me as well.

Although French was my favourite lesson, I was relieved when it was over, as I couldn't wait to leave school. I hadn't been given any homework, so I was going to go down to La Push and see Jacob.

When I walked into the parking lot and began heading towards my truck, I noticed that the silver Volvo was still parked. As I drew closer, I could see Edward sitting in the driver's seat. His head was in his hands, and Emmett, who was sitting in the passenger seat, had his hand on his shoulder. Rosalie and Jasper were sitting in the back.

As I approached, all four of them looked up to look at me. I smiled, and raised my hand to wave slightly, and three of the Cullens waved back.

Edward was the Cullen who didn't, and he regarded me coldly with black, onyx eyes.

Looking away quickly, I was just about to open my truck door when I heard someone shout my name, and I looked behind me to see Alice skipping towards me.

"See you tomorrow!" She exclaimed, giving me another hug when she reached me. I was too shocked by her quick hug to respond immediately, and before I could say goodbye, she was already in the Volvo.

The Volvo's engine revved loudly, and I pressed my back against the truck, putting more distance between the car and myself. I just about caught sight of Edward's manic expression before the car zoomed out of the parking space, and I watched the car go until it disappeared from sight.


	3. Chapter 3

I always loved driving to La Push, and it wasn't just because Jacob and his friends lived there. The drive alongside the coast never failed to bore me. There was always something happening; whether it was my La Push friends diving off of the cliffs or residents having bonfire parties on the beach.

However, when I drove along the road that led to La Push, I was surprised by how quiet it was. There were no residents around.

As I approached Jacob's house, I saw him pacing up and down outside, his tan face creased in worry. When he heard my truck, he looked up, and his face lit up with a smile.

But it didn't quite reach his eyes.

I barely had time to turn the engine off before Jacob was beside my truck, and he opened the door to pull me out. "Bella." He sighed, hugging me warmly. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"Dude, we hung out all last week." I reminded him playfully, pulling back and punching him lightly on the shoulder.

"I guess." He murmured quietly, his eyebrows knitting together, and I frowned.

"You alright Jake?"

His face cleared, and he gave me another half-hearted smile. "Sure sure. Everything's fine."

But I saw right through him, and I took his hand to lead him over to the bench outside his house. Once we'd sat down, I released his hand to fold my arms across my chest. "Okay you, out with it. What's going on?"

"It's just…" He trailed off to bite his lip, a habit that he'd picked up from me, before he continued. "A lot has changed here since I last saw you, that's all."

"Is Billy okay?" I asked him, alarmed. Charlie hadn't mentioned anything—

"My Dad's fine." Jacob assured me quickly. "It's mostly to do with Sam Uley."

"The guy who went missing at the beginning of the summer?" And then I realised. "Oh no, he hasn't gone missing again, has he?"

"That's him. And no, he hasn't. But he's in really bad shape Bells." Jacob told me quietly, looking anxious again. "Ever since he's come back to La Push, he's been different. He's been withdrawn and moody, the complete opposite of the guy I used to know. And he's always surrounded by the elders from the Council, including my Dad."

"Well, that's not so bad." I commented softly, trying to soothe him. "Maybe they're just watching out for him to make sure that he doesn't run away again?"

Jacob pondered that for a moment, but then shook his head. "No, I don't think so. It's more than that. I mean, he isn't allowed to be near anyone alone, _ever_."

"But what about his girlfriend, Leah?" I asked him. "Surely—"

"Sam broke up with her." Jacob said, interrupting me. "She's devastated."

"You're joking!" I exclaimed, stunned. "They were inseparable before he went missing!"

Jacob nodded glumly. "I know. But get this, Leah's cousin Emily arrived in La Push last week, and Sam has apparently fallen in love with her. Or so he says. Now he won't leave her alone, and poor Leah has to witness his affections for her own cousin."

"That's horrible." I murmured, turning my gaze to the house at the end of the road, which I knew was the Clearwater's, where Leah lived. "But maybe Emily is Sam's way of copying with whatever he's traumatized about."

When Jacob didn't reply, I glanced at him to see if he agreed with me, but he had his head in his hands. "Jake?" I whispered, sliding closer to him to place my hand gently on his shoulder. "Has something else happened?"

"You could say that." He said bitterly, raising his head. "Jared and Paul have started to act like Sam. They all hang out together now, and my Dad is always with them. And it scares me, because my Dad watches me, like he used to watch Jared and Paul before they started acting weird."

"Oh Jake." I sighed, putting my arm around him.

"I don't know what to do Bells." He whispered brokenly, and the anguish and fear in his voice saddened me. "What's happening to me?"

"Nothing." I told him firmly. "Nothing's going to happen to you. Your Dad won't let it."

"But he let it happen to the others."

And for that, I had no reply.

~I~

The drive to school the next day was spent thinking about the situation in la Push. From what I could tell, there was clearly more going on that neither Jacob or I knew about. All I could do was pray that it wasn't anything serious.

I'd asked Billy about it, after my talk with Jacob, but he told me that it wasn't my concern. He'd also told me not to come down to La Push for the new few weeks, Charlie included, so that the situation could work itself out. Jacob and I had argued with him, before Jacob gave in, and asked me to listen to his father. I didn't want to add to Jacob's misery, so I'd agreed reluctantly.

As I drove towards my usual parking place in the parking lot, I saw that it was empty. There was no silver Volvo today.

Just as I'd parked in the space, I saw a red convertible drive into the parking lot, and head towards me. I could see that it was the Cullens, and I waved at them as Rosalie slid the car effortlessly into the empty space next to my truck.

"Good morning Bella!" Alice chirped as she climbed out of the passenger seat of the convertible. She didn't bother to open the door; she leaped over the side.

I had to laugh at her quirky entrance. "Hey Alice, hey guys."

"Yo!" Emmett boomed as he clambered out of the backseat, and Jasper and Rosalie smiled at me. I'd already noticed that Edward wasn't with them; he was clearly still unwell.

"I have to say, I love your BMW. Is it yours, Rosalie?" I asked, admiring the car. My truck looked ancient parked beside it.

Rosalie beamed, and I could see immediately that she loved her car. "Yes, it's mine. Edward wouldn't let me drive his Volvo so I had to drive my car to school." Pausing, she reached out to stroke the hood of her car lovingly. "It's my baby."

Emmett gasped at that, and placed his hand over his heart, feigning hurt. "And what about me?"

Rosalie just rolled her eyes. "You're both my babies. You know that."

"Hear that guys? I'm in the same league as a frickin' car." Emmett remarked, and Rosalie glared at him.

"It's not _just_ a car Emmett!" She snapped, before storming away from us.

"Aw babe, I didn't mean it! Wait up!" Emmett called after her. When she didn't acknowledge him, he left us to run after her.

"Don't worry, they're always like this." Jasper told me, seeing my shocked expression.

"By the time we get into school, they'll have kissed and made up—literally." Alice added, and we began to walk towards the school building after them.

Sure enough, when we reached the school entrance, Rosalie and Emmett were locked in a passionate embrace. As we passed them, Jasper reached out and smacked the back of Emmett's head. Emmett didn't look up, but he took one of his hands away from Rosalie's waist and flipped him off, which made Alice and I laugh.

~I~

Much to Lauren's displeasure, I invited the Cullens to sit with us at lunch again. I hadn't done it to annoy her; I genuinely enjoyed their company. They were very interesting people.

However, I was a little distracted that lunchtime, still worried about Jacob, and I was contemplating whether or not I'd still be able to call him during the new few weeks.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jasper whispered to me, presumably recognising how distracted I was. I hadn't even realised that he was sitting beside me.

I quickly shook my head. "No, I'm okay. It's your second day, you should be enjoying yourselves. Don't let me bother you."

Jasper frowned slightly. "But you look sad. Talk to us, and maybe you'll feel better." He said softly, and I glanced around to see Emmett, Alice and Rosalie watching me intently. Everyone else at the table was absorbed in a discussion about the new soup that the cafeteria had sold today.

"It's nothing." I said, trying to assure them, but by their expressions, they didn't believe a word I was saying. My shoulders slumped in defeat. "There's just some things happening in La Push, but it's not really to do with me, so don't worry."

I expected them to drop the conversation, but they were still gazing at me attentively.

"What sort of things?" Emmett questioned, and I was surprised by the serious look on his face.

"Some of the local boys are acting weird, that's all." I replied quickly, wanting to change the subject. "So, what's everyone—"

"There's more that you're worried about Bella" Jasper murmured, and I froze.

"You're a perceptive one, aren't you?" I muttered, disgruntled.

Alice reached across the table towards me, and startled me when she took my hand in hers. It wasn't the gesture that surprised me; it was the cold temperature of her skin.

When I didn't pull my hand away, Alice smiled at me, her eyes sincere. "Talk to us Bella." She commanded gently.

I was silent for a moment, debating. It wasn't as if the Cullens could do anything about the situation, but talking about it with people outside of La Push might help me. So I relented, and began.

"Well, I went to La Push yesterday after school to visit my friend Jacob, and he told me about the changes in behaviour of some of his friends. And he's worried that he'll be next, and now I'm worried because I don't want anything to happen to him."

"How old is Jacob?" Rosalie asked me, and I had to admit that I was surprised by her question.

"He turned sixteen a few months ago." I replied, confused.

Rosalie's eyebrows rose, and her eyes met her sibling's briefly, sharing a loaded look with them. I looked down, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"Bella, what did you mean when you said 'changes in behaviour?'" Alice asked quietly.

Without looking up, I began to explain. "Jake told me that his friends have all been acting withdrawn and moody. They've also spent a lot of time with the Quileute Elders—" I heard a sharp intake of breath, but I continued— "And they have to be accompanied at all times."

No one said anything, and I sighed.

"You guys must think I'm being stupid." I muttered, interpreting their pause as doubt.

"We don't think you're being stupid." Emmett murmured, and I looked up. It was strange to see him taking our conversation so seriously. When I looked at the others, their expressions ranged from fear, to surprise, to understanding.

"So now I don't know what to do." I continued, wringing my hands. "Jacob's father told me not to come down to La Push until they've sorted out their 'situation', as he called it. I'm not even allowed to see Jacob, which is hard, because he's one of my best friends."

"Jacob's father wouldn't stop you from seeing his son if it wasn't serious." Jasper remarked quietly, and I knew he was right.

"So what should I do?" I asked them, my voice growing louder. "I can't just sit here, and do nothing!"

Alice squeezed my hand lightly. "Bella, I know that Jacob is your friend, but it's too dangerous for you to get mixed up in the trouble in La Push. So you'll just have to wait until they're ready for you to return."

"I guess." I mumbled, knowing that they were right. And then I remembered something else she'd said. "Trouble? Do you think Jacob is in trouble?" I demanded, panicked.

Alice looked shocked by my outburst. "No, I wasn't implying that. Jacob will be fine Bella."

Something about the soothing tone in her voice calmed me instantly, and I felt myself relax. "Okay, I believe you." I said, giving her a small smile. "But do you think it would be okay if I still called him?"

This question was directed at all of the Cullens. I didn't know why I was asking them, but my instinct was telling me that they could give me sound advice.

The Cullens looked at each other, as if they were silently conferring, before Emmett looked at me. "I don't know Bella, you might make the situation worse."

I opened my mouth to argue, but Rosalie spoke. "I mean, Jacob's father would have told you to keep in touch if it was okay, right?"

"You're right." I admitted, though I hated that they were.

"So, what's your father said about the situation in La Push?" Alice asked curiously.

"I don't think he knows. Jacob's father also mentioned that I shouldn't tell Charlie about what was happening in La Push. He's too busy with work at the moment anyway, so he never has time to go down to La Push." I told them. "Two people got murdered in Port Angeles last week, so Charlie's working more hours than usual to ensure that Forks stays safe."

"I heard about that." Emmett commented, leaning back in his chair. "They interrupted the Football game that I was watching to show the feature about the murders last week. Wasted two minutes of good television."

Rosalie glared at him, before smacking the back of his head. "Don't be so inconsiderate Emmett!"

"Why'd I get a slap for voicing my opinion?" Emmett demanded, confused. "I mean, they should have broadcast the feature on the _actual_ news, not the sports channel!"

"Maybe because they know that more people watch Sports than the News." Rosalie pointed out. "And they needed everyone to see the feature, so they showed it during the Football game."

"That's true." Emmett stated, nodding his head. "We all know only nerds watch the News channel."

"Hey!" Jasper exclaimed fiercely. "I watch the News!"

"My point exactly." Emmett remarked with a grin, earning another smack, this time from Jasper.

Rosalie and Alice met my gaze, and we started to laugh at them. I was grateful for the lighter topic of conversation, and silently thanked the Cullens for brightening my day again.


	4. Chapter 4

School usually dragged, but the first week passed rather quickly. By Friday, everyone had gotten used to the Cullens. Edward still hadn't returned to the school, but Alice told me that he'd be back on Monday.

The first week of Senior Year was one of the best weeks of school that I'd ever had, and that was largely due to the Cullens. They were unique, yet _so_ similar in some aspects, and I regarded myself as a friend of each one of them.

Emmett was possibly the funniest person I knew, he'd have me in stitches within seconds, but he also knew how to wind me up. On Wednesday, I'd tripped over my own feet in the parking lot, and Emmett had witnessed my fall. Now he referred to me as 'The Queen of Klutziness', and my face flamed with embarrassment whenever he called me by my nickname. Rosalie would hit him though, every time that he called me it.

Rosalie tended to ignore our classmates, with the exception of her family, and myself, so she was not liked by many of my friends, including Angela. But I liked her; she was smart, funny, and she always sided with me whenever Emmett teased me.

Jasper didn't talk much to anyone else either, and he was definitely the quiet one out of the four. But he and I had a lot in common; we both adored literature, and we'd had a discussion Thursday lunchtime about our favourite literary classics, which had completely bored his family.

But my favourite Cullen member so far was Alice. I adored her. She was bubbly and cheerful all of the time; my mood would improve just by being in her presence. On Friday, she'd referred to me as her best friend, even though we'd only known each other for five days. I didn't find that remark weird at all, though Angela and my other friends did, because it felt like I'd known her for years instead of a matter of days.

Because I liked the Cullen family a lot, I couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of getting to know Edward. If he was anything like his siblings, I was certain we'd get along. At least, I hoped we would.

~I~

True to Alice's word, when I drove into school the following Monday, I saw the silver Volvo in the parking lot. Edward had returned to school.

Already, I could feel my heartbeat thudding in anticipation.

To my dismay, when I parked beside Edward's car, there were no occupants inside of it. They were already in class.

Glancing at my watch, I could see why they weren't waiting for me. I was three minutes late to English.

Cursing, I stumbled out of my truck and hurried towards the school, praying that I didn't fall over.

Fortunately, I was fine the whole way, except when I tripped over the doorstep of the English Classroom. In my haste, I'd forgotten it was there.

To my surprise, a pair of cold arms wrapped themselves around me, and righted me before I fell face first. I heard a giggle in my ear, and knew that Alice had saved me from a potentially embarrassing moment. How she'd supported my weight being so petite amazed me.

"Thanks Alice." I sighed as she released me, relieved.

"No problem-o! Happy to help!" She said cheerfully, grinning. "You didn't need to rush though, our English Teacher isn't even here yet."

Suddenly I heard a booming laugh, and I groaned internally. Of course Emmett had witnessed my near fall.

"You should have let her fall Alice, so that I could add another thing to her klutz list." Emmett remarked.

"Klutz list?" I demanded, scowling at him. "What the hell is that?" My question was unnecessary; I could already guess what it was.

"Just a list of things of clumsy things you've done in the past week." Emmett explained, laughing when I blushed. "For example, the trip in the parking lot, banging into Lauren and making her spill her drink all down her new outfit, splattering paint into Jessica's hair in—"

"—Okay, that's enough!" I huffed, storming past him to sit down at my desk. I wasn't really angry with him, I just wanted the chance to wind him up.

Emmett immediately bounded over to my desk to squat down to my level and give me a big grin, showing his dimples and making his topaz eyes glitter. My façade cracked instantly, and I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.

Satisfied that he was forgiven, Emmett stood up and sat down at his desk, where Rosalie was flicking through a fashion magazine. Alice had joined her, and the two began to discuss this season's fashion.

"You know, you girls would enjoy a good classic book more than that rubbish." Jasper remarked, gesturing towards the magazine and then winking at me, which made me laugh. He and I were definitely on the same wavelength.

Alice didn't find his comment very amusing. "Jazz, don't insult fashion. It's a girl's best friend." She responded, scowling at him.

"I thought it was diamonds." Rosalie murmured, not looking up from her magazine.

"That too." Alice added, before her eye caught something in the magazine, and she squealed. "Oh my God Bella, you would look stunning in this!"

"Look out Bella, she's found her next Barbie doll." Jasper said warily, and I gulped. I had never been into the whole 'make-over' thing.

"Bella-Barbie!" Emmett exclaimed gleefully, thrilled that he could now call me by a second nickname.

Ignoring them, Alice approached me to show me the magazine. "This blouse would match your complexion perfectly." She told me, pointing to a picture of sapphire coloured blouse.

My eyes widened at the price. "There is no way in hell I'd pay that much for a blouse." I said, horrified that people actually _paid_ that much for one item of clothing. "I wouldn't even spend that much money on a whole outfit!"

Now it was Alice's turn to be horrified. "You don't spend that much on an entire outfit?" She gasped, and Jasper winced.

"Uh-oh." He murmured.

"We have to go shopping immediately!" Alice announced, slamming the magazine down on the desk to emphasise her point.

I gave Rosalie a helpless look, but she was nodding her head, agreeing with Alice. "Absolutely. And if you don't want to buy the blouse, we'll buy you it for you."

"There is no way you guys are spending that much money on me." I said firmly. I'd always hated it when other people bought me gifts, even if they were for my birthday.

"It's no big deal." Alice said, shrugging. "Besides, we want to treat you. You're the only one at this school who's been nothing but nice to us. You deserve it."

I was about to protest, but our English Teacher walked into the classroom, signalling that the lesson was about to begin, and I sighed in relief. "Saved by the bell." I murmured under my breath.

Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie all laughed at my remark, and Alice shot me an angry glare. "This isn't over." She warned me, wagging her finger as she sat down at her desk.

Clearly, I hadn't been as quiet as I'd thought, and I made a mental note to always retort back in my head next time so that Alice couldn't hear me. I didn't want to face her wrath, after all.

~I~

After my English lesson, I expected the rest of my lessons to drag, mostly because I didn't share them with the Cullens.

So I was surprised when I walked into French, my last lesson before lunch, to see Edward Cullen sitting at my desk. In my seat, to be exact.

Again, I was just as struck by him as I had been in the cafeteria the week before. His beauty was exquisite.

Taking a deep breath, I made my way over to him, and stopped beside the desk. "Excuse me." I began. "You're sitting in my seat."

_That was the best greeting I could come up with? Way to go Bella!_

Edward raised his head slowly, and met my gaze. "I apologise, I didn't realise this seat was filled." He rose swiftly, and moved away from the seat.

"Thanks." I said awkwardly, sitting down, and pulling my French folder out of my bag.

I expected Edward to move away, but he remained standing by the desk. "Is the seat next to you taken?" He asked me quietly, and I blinked.

He wanted to sit next to _me?_

Suddenly I was lost for words.

That didn't happen often.

"No." I finally answered, and then mentally scolded myself for the simplicity of my reply.

I expected him to sit down, but he still remained standing, looking unsure of himself. "So, do you mind if…" He gestured to the empty seat, and I realised what he meant.

"Of course not." I replied quickly, and he sat down.

The crooked smile he gave me next sent my heart crashing in my chest. He was breathtaking. "I have to say, it's nice to meet you at last Bella." He remarked, leaning back in his chair and gazing at me intently with his topaz eyes. "My family have been talking about you at home. They like you a lot."

I felt my face light up, thrilled by his comment. "I like your family too. And I've heard about you as well, Edward."

His crooked smile appeared again, and this time, I felt myself blush. "Only good things, I hope." He replied, amused.

I couldn't think of an intelligible reply to that. He'd completely overwhelmed me.

Fortunately I didn't have to; our French Teacher began the lesson, which didn't give me a chance to talk to Edward again.

~I~

When the bell eventually rang for lunch, Edward surprised me by waiting for me while I packed up my bag.

"Do you mind if I sit with you at lunch?" He asked me, looking uncertain again.

I smiled immediately, wanting to put him at ease. "Of course not."

We walked to the cafeteria in silence, which was expected, as neither of us knew each other very well. I wracked my brain, trying to think of a conversation starter, but came up blank. So I ended up sneaking glances at him. His expression was smooth, but something told me that he was also thinking of something to say, but couldn't.

However, he did wait for me while I bought my lunch, and when I murmured my thanks, he gave me another crooked smile.

As we walked towards our lunch table, Emmett looked up and saw us approaching. "I bet you ten dollars that Bella drops her tray!" He boomed to Jasper, who laughed.

"She won't." I heard Alice tell him. "And you wouldn't dare bet against me." When she winked, I felt like I was missing out on an inside joke, especially when I heard Edward chuckle beside me.

When we got to table, I slid into the empty seat next to Alice, and Edward took the chair beside mine, putting him next to an excited Jessica.

"Hi!" She exclaimed, offering him her hand. "I'm Jessica, it's nice to finally meet you Edward."

I had to cover my mouth to hide my smile when Edward stared down at her hand disdainfully, making no move to place his hand in hers. "Nice to meet you too." He mumbled, and then he shifted his chair closer to mine to distance himself from her.

That move didn't go unnoticed by Lauren, and I saw her eyes narrow slightly. I knew that she'd be the next one to talk to Edward, and I was right.

"I'm glad that you're finally well enough to come to school Edward." She began, fluttering her eyelashes in an attempt to look flirtatious. It didn't work. "I'm Lauren Mallory, and I hope we're going to be great friends."

If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn I saw Edward grimace.

"Right." He muttered, looking away from her.

I couldn't help but feel secretly pleased; he didn't like Lauren much either.

After everyone else's introductions were out of the way, Alice attacked me again.

"So Bella, we didn't get the chance to continue our conversation about this blouse—" She pulled out the magazine from earlier and flicked to the page that showed the item of clothing "—and whether or not you were interested in it."

_Oh God._ "And like I said Alice, I don't spend that much on clothes." I reminded her. "I thought that meant the conversation about this ridiculous blouse was over."

Alice placed her hand over her heart, looking pained. "You did _not_ just call it ridiculous!"

"I didn't mean it like that." I said quickly, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "I just meant that this whole conversation is ridiculous. I don't wear things like that, and there's no way I'm paying $110 for something I'll never wear."

"You don't have to pay for it. I'm buying it for you for your birthday next week." She told me, smiling smugly at me.

My eyes narrowed instantly. "How did you know it was my birthday next week?" I asked suspiciously, when I saw Angela looking guiltily down at the table. "You didn't!" I gasped, feeling betrayed.

"I'm sorry!" Angela cried, holding up her hands in surrender. "Alice made me tell her when your birthday was!"

"She has a way of getting her own way with people." Edward commented, grinning at his sister.

"You know it." Alice replied, beaming. "So, seeing as it's your birthday next Monday, this blouse is going to be one of your birthday presents."

"_One_ of my presents? Please Alice, don't make a big deal out of my birthday." I pleaded.

"Why not?" Rosalie asked me curiously. "You're only eighteen once Bella, you might as well enjoy it."

"I know, but I don't like the attention I get." I admitted, shuddering. "A birthday just means a change in age, that's all."

"That's all!" Alice repeated, looking outraged. "Bella, we're going to celebrate your birthday and give you presents, whether you like it or not!"

"Is there any point in arguing?" I sighed, sensing defeat already. One of the first things I'd learnt about Alice: she was stubborn, and dominant.

"None whatsoever." Alice stated with a smile, knowing that she'd won the argument.

"Why are you making such a big deal about Bella's birthday anyway?" Lauren demanded suddenly, and everyone turned to look at her. "It's not like you've been friends for very long. Why spend all of that money on a blouse for a stranger?"

Alice's topaz eyes darkened, and even her family looked surprised by the ferocity in her expression. "Bella is not a stranger. She's the sweetest, prettiest girl here and she's my best friend." She gave me a quick smile, and I blushed, flattered by her words, before she added, "No offence Angela."

"None taken." Angela replied, smiling. "It's all true."

I didn't fail to notice that Alice hadn't apologised to Jessica and Lauren for her remark about me. And neither did they. Jessica didn't say anything to Alice's outburst, but Lauren did. _Of course._

"Bella isn't pretty; she's plain." She remarked, and then she laughed spitefully. "That blouse couldn't do anything to enhance her beauty, because she isn't beautiful, at _all_."

Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie and the rest of my friends looked furious at her comment. Even Tyler and Jessica looked shocked.

Alice was visibly shaking beside me, furious, and my mood mirrored hers.

I was about to say a quick retort, when Edward spoke up, surprising everyone at the table. "People only use nasty words about someone when they're jealous of them." He said, his eyes cold as he glared at Lauren. "You must be extremely jealous of Bella if you feel the need to be spiteful about her when she's sitting right in front of you."

Lauren's face flushed in shock, and I felt mine do the same. I couldn't believe Edward had defended me.

However, Edward's comment wasn't enough for Emmett.

"Yeah Lauren, if you think that Bella's prettier than you - which she is - then consider cosmetic surgery. They should be able to fix the bump on your nose."

Lauren's eyes widened, and her hands flew up to cover her nose. "I have a bump on my nose?" She hissed, panicked.

Emmett nodded his head slowly, pretending to look sympathetic. "Haven't you noticed it? It's like Mount Everest has sprouted there."

Lauren blush deepened, and she fled the table. Tyler, Jessica and Mike quickly left too, and I heard them shouting compliments at Lauren to calm her down as they exited the cafeteria.

When the cafeteria doors shut behind them, I turned my head to give Edward and Emmett a grateful smile. "Thanks for defending me, but I think you've made Lauren upset." I commented, feeling a slight twinge of guilt.

Edward's brow furrowed slightly. "You're worried about Lauren's feelings? After what she said about you?" He asked me, gazing at me in disbelief.

"Of course, no one deserves to get trashed like that. At least, not in front of everyone." I muttered, feeling embarrassed by his stare.

"I can't believe you feel sorry for her." Edward murmured. "Selfless."

I didn't know what to make of his comment; it could have been taken as a compliment, or an insult, so I didn't respond.

"You made a good joke Emmett, about the whole mountain thing." Angela remarked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"I wasn't joking…you really can't see it?"

Rosalie elbowed him, but she couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face, and Angela shook her head in reply to Emmett's question.

"Just as well." Emmett mused, looking thoughtful. "They're cosmetic surgeons, not miracle workers."

That made the whole table erupt into laughter, and I couldn't stop myself from laughing along with them. One thing I knew for sure was that I definitely knew who my true friends were.


	5. Chapter 5

I didn't enjoy the drive to school the following day like I usually did. I was too nervous.

A part of my nerves were for Lauren. Edward and Emmett's comments had upset her yesterday, and although I knew that she deserved them for being nasty about me, I was scared that she'd find a malicious way to take revenge. That was the sort of person she was; she could spread hurtful rumours and manipulate people against me. It had happened before.

But the majority of my nerves were for Charlie. There had been another murder, but this time, it had happened on the outskirts of Forks, which totalled the murder count up to three. The bodies hadn't been found yet, but droplets of blood were always left at the crime scene, so that the police could identify who the person was.

I couldn't help but worry about Charlie, even though I knew that he was armed, and protected by his police force. I worried because his job had never been so dangerous before. Forks wasn't exactly a dangerous place to live, unless you had a phobia of trees.

As I pulled into the school parking lot, my cell phone began to ring, but I had to ignore it. I couldn't afford to distract myself when I had to park my truck beside Edward's Volvo, always mindful of his car's paintwork.

All five of the Cullens were waiting for me, but I wanted to check my cell phone before I got out to greet at them. When I pulled it out of my coat pocket, I flipped it open to see that I had a missed call from Renee.

This worried me instantly. Renee rarely used her cell phone unless it was an emergency.

Just as I was about to call her back, my cell phone began to ring in my hand, startling me. I dropped the phone accidentally, and it managed to get lodged underneath the clutch.

"Fuck!" I swore, diving down and scrambling for my phone. When I finally managed to yank it out, I sat up, only to whack my head against the steering wheel.

I could hear Emmett's loud laughter, even from inside my truck.

_Great, I had an audience._

Clutching my sore head with one hand, I answered my cell phone with the other. "Hey Mom, I was just about to—" But Renee's panicked voice cut me off.

"Bella, why the hell didn't you answer your cell phone right away?" She barked.

"I was driving, and I dropped my cell phone the second time you rang. You know what a klutz I am." I joked, attempting to ease the tension in her voice.

"This isn't a time for joking Bella." Renee replied sternly, which made me anxious. She'd never spoken to me like that before. "We need to talk."

"About what?" I asked her, biting my lip worriedly.

"Your father and I had a talk last night, and we've both agreed that until Forks and Port Angeles is safe; you're to come back to Phoenix and live with me for a while." Renee told me firmly.

"What!" I shrieked into the phone, outraged. "You've got to be kidding!"

"I'm serious Bella. It's dangerous for you to be in Forks while there's a serial killer around. Until Charlie has caught the murderer, you're going to be living in Phoenix. End of discussion."

"Mom! That's completely absurd!" I hissed, slamming my hand down on the steering wheel. The truck horn blared out momentarily, but I didn't stop. "Everyone else's parents aren't sending their children away! Why do I have to leave? What about my friends? What about school? You can't just pull me out and transfer me to another school temporarily!"

"We can, and we are."

"What about the money for the flight to Phoenix?" I demanded. "What about my truck?"

"Charlie and I have agreed to pay half the cost of the flight each."

"Save yourself the money, because I'm not going." I told her angrily, glaring out of my windshield.

"Bella, listen—"

"No, _you_ listen!" I snapped, furious now. "You're not dragging me halfway across the country because of some murder case! I'm safe here!"

"Bella—"

"No!" I yelled, refusing to let her attempt to change my mind. "There's no way I'm going, and that's final."

Renee was silent for a moment, before she sighed. "Don't you want to live with me again Bella?" She asked me sadly, and I began to feel guilty.

"Mom, you know that I miss you, so much." I told her softly. "But Forks is my home, and I'm not leaving over something so stupid. Besides, it's my birthday on Monday and I want to celebrate it here."

"You really don't want to come to Phoenix?"

"No." I said flatly.

"Fine. If you don't want to, you don't have to." She said, and she still sounded sad. "You're going to be eighteen in a few days; you should be able to make your own decisions. I'll speak with Charlie again."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome Bells."

Hearing her use my old nickname made me feel homesick, and the guilt I'd started to feel intensified. I didn't mean to hurt her by being so adamant about not returning to Phoenix. "I miss you Mom." I whispered softly.

"I know baby, I miss you too."

I heard her sniff, and I knew that she was crying.

"Oh Mom." My voice suddenly broke, and I had to blink quickly, feeling myself starting to tear up.

There was a gentle tap on my window then, and I looked over to see Alice standing by my truck door. She tapped her watch, and I knew that I had to get to class.

"Mom, I have to get to class." I said reluctantly, squeezing my eyes shut. "Speak to you soon, okay?"

"Okay sweetheart, have a good day at school. I love you."

"Love you too." I whispered, but she'd already hung up.

Opening my eyes, I stared at my cell phone for a moment, before sliding it into my pocket.

The moment I climbed out of my truck, cold arms enveloped me into a hug. Alice.

And now I couldn't stop my tears from falling. To my dismay, they slid relentlessly down my face.

"Bella?"

At the sound of Edward's gentle, melodic voice, I pulled away from Alice to look at him, and he handed me a tissue.

"Thank you." I whispered, hastily wiping my eyes with it. "Sorry about that. You guys didn't have to wait for me."

"Of course we did. That's what friends are for." Alice said, linking arms with me. "Besides, you have Biology with all of us."

I didn't know that Edward studied Biology too, but then, he hadn't been at school last week, so he could be in more of my classes.

We began our walk towards the school building where the Biology labs were, but the atmosphere was uncomfortable, due to the silence between us. I knew that I was to blame for the tension.

Emmett broke the silence once we were inside. "You know, I wish we studied Chemistry instead of Biology." He remarked randomly, which confused everyone.

"Why's that?" Jasper asked, glancing at Alice, who shrugged her shoulders, not understanding what Emmett meant either.

"Well, Chemistry's more mine and Rosalie's subject." Emmett replied, winking at us.

"What do you mean by that?" Rosalie asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Only Edward looked like he understood, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, looking exasperated.

"Because we have amazing chemistry!" Emmett exclaimed.

He waited for us to laugh, but no one did. "Don't you guys get it?" He asked us, mock-outraged.

"Of course they get it." Edward replied, lowering his hand. "But it wasn't a good joke Em."

"The punch line was rubbish." Jasper added, agreeing with his adopted brother. "We expected a much better one from you."

"Yeah Em, we're disappointed." Rosalie commented, joining in with the teasing.

"Aw man!" Emmett sighed. "I was only trying to ease the atmosphere and you guys kill my joke."

"The joke was already dead Emmett." Alice remarked, looking at him with a bored expression on her face.

Their expressions of mock disappointment and Emmett's wounded look sent me over the edge, and I laughed.

"See? Bella appreciates a good joke." Emmett said cheerfully, slinging his arm over my shoulders and grinning smugly.

"I don't think it was your joke that made her laugh." Alice told him, grinning. "I'm pretty sure it was us teasing you that caused it."

"Is that true Bella?" Emmett asked me, feigning shock.

"Sorry Emmett, but Alice is right. I like seeing you being the brunt of the teasing, instead of me." I admitted, smiling to show that I was only joking.

Emmett still pretended to look shocked. "I'm truly offended by that Bella. Is it 'pick on Emmett day' today, or something?"

"I thought it was 'Pick on a Gorilla Day' today." Edward mused, pretending to be deep in thought.

"Are you calling me a gorilla?" Emmett demanded, and his look of outrage made us all burst into laughter. We had to pause in the corridor, as we were laughing so hard.

I tried to calm my laughter down, but whenever I caught the eye of my friends, I would break into another fit of laughter.

Emmett continued to look offended, but his façade broke quickly, and he laughed along with us.

Suddenly, Alice stopped giggling and looked at her watch. "If we don't get to class in one minute, we're all going to get detention." She said urgently, and we all stopped laughing abruptly.

The Biology Lab was at the end of the corridor, and we all raced towards it. I couldn't help but notice how graceful all of them were compared to me as we ran.

When we got there, Alice darted inside first, with the rest of us following in behind her. "Sorry we're late Mr Banner, we didn't realise we had Biology first period." She said apologetically, as she made her way towards her lab table.

Mr Banner, the Biology Teacher, eyed us suspiciously as we scurried to our lab tables, but he nodded in understanding. "No matter. Just sit down so I can continue my lecture."

Last week, I'd sat in Biology by myself, with Rosalie and Emmett on a lab table on my right and Alice and Jasper on a lab table on my left. As I made my way towards my lab table, I noticed Edward following me, and realised that he was going to sit with me.

I was Edward Cullen's lab partner.

_Can't complain about that. _

Before I could sit down, Edward quickly pulled out my stool for me, and I was stunned by his politeness. No one had ever done that for me before, and I smiled at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper do the same for Alice.

"Why can't you do that?" I heard Rosalie hiss, and I glanced over to see her frowning at Emmett.

"Do what?" Emmett asked, taken aback by his girlfriend's sudden bad mood.

"Hold my chair out for me! Jasper and Edward do it, so why can't you?" She demanded, crossing her arms.

"I hate being a gorilla." Emmett grumbled in reply. "They always get picked on."

At that, Rosalie turned away from him and glared towards the front of the classroom. Emmett sighed, and slumped down in his seat.

I didn't want them to notice that I'd been watching, so I looked away, only to meet Edward's gaze.

_He'd been watching me._

"Don't worry, they always fight like this." He murmured to me, nodding his head in Rosalie and Emmett's direction. "You get used to it after a while."

"I know, I've had that warning before." I told him, smiling ruefully.

He smiled in return, before turning to face the front of the classroom, where Mr Banner was giving a lecture about the phases of Mitosis.

I'd already studied that subject in Phoenix, so I let my mind drift, and my thoughts immediately turned to Renee's phone call. I couldn't help but wonder what she was going to tell Charlie about my refusal to move to Phoenix. I just hoped that he'd accept my decision without causing an argument; I wasn't up for another parent-daughter discussion.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward suddenly whispered, bringing me back to the present.

"The phone call I got this morning." I told him quietly.

Edward frowned, looking concerned. "Who was it from?"

"Renee, my Mom." I mumbled, looking down at my hands.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Edward said hastily, noticing my discomfort about the subject, and I instantly felt guilty for being short with him.

"It's okay, it's just—"

But I broke off when I saw the rest of his family suddenly sitting around our table.

_What the—_

"Mr Banner told us that we had to get into groups of five or six and study these slides." Alice explained, noticing my surprise, and she placed a box containing slides, a piece of paper, and a microscope on the table.

Edward took out the microscope to attach one of the slides to it, and then pushed it towards me. "Ladies first?" He asked, smiling softly at me.

"See Emmett? Another thing you need to learn; ladies are always treated with respect, and men always put them first." Rosalie remarked to her boyfriend.

"I thought the saying was 'ladies first, but men just before.'" Emmett replied back, earning him a glare from Rosalie.

Trying to ease the atmosphere, I studied the first slide. "It's prophase."

"Wait."

Before I could remove the slide, Edward reached out and grabbed my hand, startling me. His unusually cold touch felt like it had burnt my skin, not because of the temperature, but because of the spark that had ignited between our skin.

I heard Edward inhale sharply, and knew that he had felt it too. "I just want to check it." He said quickly, pulling his hand away from mine and looking in the microscope.

Confused, I looked down at my tingling fingers, and then back up at Edward. But he was focused on looking at the slide.

"She's right you know." Alice told him, her tone confident.

Sure enough, Edward straightened up immediately, nodding. "Prophase." He confirmed, taking the sheet out of the box and writing down the answer.

"Like I said." I murmured, just as Alice replied, "Told you so."

Edward laughed, but I didn't know whether he was amused by Alice, or me. "Your turn Emmett." He said, inserting the second slide and pushing it towards his brother.

Emmett looked nervous. "Uh—no thanks. Rose? " He said quickly, before adding, "After all, ladies always do come first." He then pushed the microscope towards his girlfriend.

"I thought ladies were first, but men were just before." She said smugly, echoing his words from earlier as she pushed the microscope back towards him.

Emmett cursed, but knowing that he was beaten, he had no choice but to look into the microscope. "Anaphase." He mumbled, shoving the microscope back to Edward.

Edward examined the slide swiftly, and then glanced up to grin at Emmett. "Well done Em! That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Emmett mumbled something incoherently under his breath in reply, but I could have sworn I heard the word 'Gorilla'.

His reply made me laugh, along with the rest of the Cullens.

And just like that, my phone call with Renee and my upcoming talk with Charlie were forgotten.

All I knew was; there was no possibility of me leaving Forks if it meant leaving friends behind like the Cullens.


	6. Chapter 6

I wasn't particularly looking forward to Maths, as it was the only lesson I had that none of the Cullens were in. On the plus side, Lauren wasn't it in either. But Jessica was.

When I walked into the classroom, Jessica was already sitting at our desk, and she looked up nervously as I approached her.

"Hey Bella." She said quietly, giving me a small, hesitant smile. She looked worried, which confused me. Jessica never got anxious about anything.

"Hey yourself. What's up with you?" I asked her quizzically, sitting down beside her. I had a slight suspicion that it had something to do with Lauren.

Jessica turned her head, avoiding my gaze, when she replied, "Lauren told me to tell you that your new friends aren't welcome on our lunch table anymore."

My eyes narrowed. "Since when does Lauren control who sits with us at lunch?" I demanded furiously.

"Since she got ridiculed yesterday by Emmett and Edward."

"She's the one who started it!" I hissed, attracting the attention of our classmates sitting around us. "Edward and Emmett were just looking out for me!"

Jessica sighed, and finally met my gaze. "I know Bella, but you know what Lauren's like."

Yes, I did know what Lauren was like. She was the most malicious, nasty girl in the school, and the bitchiest. And now I had a new quality to add to my list: cowardice. She had to be a coward if she didn't have the courage to tell the Cullens that she didn't want them to sit with her anymore.

Of course, I couldn't relay my thoughts to Jessica, Lauren's best friend. "Am I still allowed to sit on the table?" I asked mockingly, though I had no intention of eating with that blonde cow ever again.

Jessica immediately nodded her head. "Of course you are Bella!"

"But Lauren hates me." I reminded her sharply. "Why would I still be welcome on the table?"

"Well, you know how much Lauren loves her popularity. The more people on her table, the more popular she seems." Jessica commented, and I snorted at her referring to our table as 'Lauren's.'

"And how do I bring popularity to the table?" I asked her incredulously.

"Angela wouldn't eat with us if you weren't there, Ben wouldn't eat with us if Angela wasn't there, Eric wouldn't eat with us if Ben wasn't there—"

"Okay, Okay! I get the picture." I remarked, interrupting her. If Lauren thought that I was going to keep eating with her just to boost her own popularity, she must be mental. "But Jessica, surely the Cullens bring popularity to the table, so why is Lauren kicking them off?"

Jessica's eyes widened. "Oh my God, I didn't think of that!" She whipped out her cell phone and quickly began texting, and I assumed that she was going to tell Lauren about my comment.

_Jessica and Lauren had never been very smart. _

Almost instantly after Jessica sent the text, her cell phone vibrated with Lauren's reply, and she flipped it open to read it. "She wants them back on the table, as long as Emmett and Edward apologise." She told me, and I rolled my eyes. Lauren was _so_ shallow.

"That won't happen. Why should they apologise for defending me? If someone has to apologise, it should be _her_."

Jessica began to gnaw at her lip anxiously. She knew that I was right, but Lauren was her best friend. I'd hate to be in her situation right now.

~I~

After Maths was over, Jessica and I walked to the cafeteria in silence. I knew that she was deep in thought about Lauren and I, so I made no effort to start a conversation.

When we entered the cafeteria, we were both surprised to see Lauren sitting alone at our usual table, and she was scowling at something a few tables away.

We followed her gaze, and the sight I saw made me grin.

Sitting at another table were the Cullens, Angela, Ben and Eric.

I knew what my lunchtime seating arrangements were.

Still smiling, I turned to Jessica, who was looking back and forth between the tables, visibly torn about where to sit. "Where would you like to eat Jess?" I asked her, already backing away from her towards the Cullens.

Jessica went to take a step after me, but Lauren began to yell at her across the cafeteria. "Jessica! Get over here now!"

Giving me an apologetic smile, Jessica turned away, and began to make her way towards Lauren.

I wasn't surprised by her choice, and I headed over to my new lunch table.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed happily as she saw me approaching the table, and she pulled out the free chair beside her, which also put me beside Edward. "I saved a seat for you!"

"Thanks Alice." I replied, my smile widening as I sat down next to her. "How was Gym?"

"Brilliant. I hit Lauren with a volleyball." She said cheerfully, reaching down to pick up her bag. "On purpose, of course. You would have _died_."

"You're joking!"

"Nope. We can break into Mrs Cope's office if you'd like so we can show you the Gym video footage." Alice remarked, rummaging through her bag.

"We might have to do that." I said, chuckling.

"We're definitely breaking into her office!" Emmett added, grinning proudly at his sister. "I've _got_ to see that footage too."

"Of course you do." Edward said dryly, smiling at me as our eyes met.

"We'll go to her office after school." Alice told us, pulling a box out of her bag. "Or we can have Edward persuade Mrs Cope to give us the tape. Everyone knows about her crush on him."

My eyebrow rose, and I turned to look at Edward, who looked repulsed by his sister's comment. "Let's _not_ go with the latter option, thank you very much." He muttered, grimacing.

"You'll be the best part of her day." Alice said teasingly, opening the box and showing the contents to me. "Cupcake?"

Inside the box, there were six cupcakes, elaborately decorated with butter cream swirls and marzipan stars, topped off by crystalline sprinkles.

"Wow Alice, did you make these?" I asked her, awed by the decoration. "They look incredible!"

"She didn't make them, the Forks Bakery did." Jasper told me, grinning. "Alice can't cook."

"Hey, I feed you well though, don't I?" Alice shot back. "I always tell you where the best places to go are."

"That you do." He agreed, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.

I took out one of the cupcakes, thanked her, and then she offered some to Angela, Ben and Eric, who were just leaving to go to their Astronomy Club.

After they'd left, I ate my cupcake and listened to the Cullens conversing. We were all laughing at one of Emmett's jokes when I finished my cupcake, and I noticed Edward looking at me, his head tilted slightly to the side.

I looked back at him inquisitively, and he chuckled quietly. "You have a little butter cream…" He trailed off, and reached out hesitantly to touch the corner of my mouth. He barely touched me, but my face still flamed.

"Gone." He murmured, moving his hand away, and giving me a small, tentative smile.

"Thanks." I whispered, returning his smile with a shy one of my own.

Before either of us could say something else, I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket, and I took it out to see that I had a text message from Renee.

_Hey baby, I rang your Dad a few minutes ago and told him about your decision. He wants to talk to you when he gets home from work; he isn't happy sweetheart xxx_

Her text message puzzled me. Charlie had no reason to be unhappy about my decision to stay in Forks.

Unless he wanted me to leave.

That thought upset me instantly, and a tear slid down my face. I impatiently brushed it away, not wanting to attract my friend's attention, but I was too late. I felt Alice slip her arm around my shoulders, and the rest of the Cullens leaned closer to me.

"What's wrong Bella?" Edward asked me softly, and when I looked at him, I was overwhelmed by our close proximity.

"I'm fine." I managed to whisper, my face darkening again. "It's nothing."

As I said the words, another tear slipped out, and Edward offered me another tissue; his second of the day.

I accepted it with trembling hands. "Thank you." I mumbled, and he gave me a reassuring smile.

"Bella, you're upset, and confused. Talk to us." Jasper said quietly, looking at me in concern.

He was right. I'd noticed that about him; he was good at comprehending emotions and feelings, especially mine. But then, Renee used to call me an open book, as my face was so easy to read.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Alice murmured, brushing my hair back from my face soothingly. Her cold touch was surprisingly comforting.

"I want to, but I don't want you guys to be burdened with my problems…again." I whispered, twisting the tissue nervously between my fingers.

"That would never happen." Rosalie said firmly. "A problem shared is a problem halved, and-"

"-But seeing as there's five of us, it's a problem fifthed." Emmett added, which earned him confused looks from everyone at the table.

"Fifthed? Is that even a word?" Jasper asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Nope, I just made it up." Emmett replied, grinning with pride. "But it makes sense though, doesn't it? There's five of us…and a fifth is part of five pieces of one thing…okay I've just confused myself. "

"Anyway, as I was saying before the big doofus interrupted me—" Rosalie began, but her boyfriend interrupted her again.

"-Doofus Rosalie? _Doofus?_What kind of word is that?"

"What kind of word is fifthed?" She hissed back. "Anyway Bella, as I was saying before the big doofus interrupted me _again_—"

"-Big?" Emmett huffed. "I'm not fat Rosalie!"

"I didn't say fat. I said _big_, and that term doesn't mean fat at all."

"Ah, I get it." Emmett commented, and I heard Edward groan quietly. "You're referring to my big-"

"Shut up Emmett!" His whole family yelled, and I laughed, earning me a relieved smile from Edward. It touched me, knowing that he was worried about me.

Emmett surprisingly listened to them, and he turned to me, now wearing the same concerned expression as his siblings. "Sorry about that Bella. You can tell us what's upsetting you now."

I was silent for a moment, but then nodded, giving in. "Well, it all started this morning, when I was in my truck. I got a phone call from Renee, my Mom. Charlie and her had a talk, and they want me to move back to Phoenix."

Everyone's eyes flickered to Alice, and they all looked confused. So did she. I was just confused by why everyone was looking at her.

"Why?" Alice asked me quietly, looking concerned again.

"You know that Port Angeles serial killer? He's getting closer to Forks, which made both my parents paranoid. They want me safe in Phoenix."

"He has a right to be paranoid." Jasper remarked, surprising me. "I can understand his worry. You're his _only_ daughter, and seeing as he's involved with the Port Angeles case, he'll know just what the killer's capable of. He'll do anything to keep you safe; and that for him is moving you as far away from here as possible."

"But it's completely ridiculous!" I protested. "The killer isn't after me! So why should I disrupt my studies and lose my friends just because of my parent's paranoia?"

"Your father only has your best interests at heart." Edward murmured. "Maybe you should listen to him, he only wants to keep you safe."

The others nodded, agreeing with him, and I couldn't help but feel hurt. Did they want me to leave too?

"No Bella, we didn't mean it like that!" Jasper said quickly, noticing my expression.

"Then why are you saying that I should leave, unless you want to me to go?" I whispered hoarsely, upset. I'd thought that my friends would have sided with me against my parents.

"Of course we don't want you to go!" Rosalie replied, looking stunned by my question. "But if that's the only way to keep you safe, then you should take it."

"You guys are acting like this serial killer is after me." I commented, smiling weakly. "I know that my nickname is 'danger magnet', but _come__on_! This is ridiculous!"

"There's nothing ridiculous about keeping you safe." Edward whispered, meeting my gaze again. The intensity in his eyes scared me, and I leaned away slightly.

"Look, It doesn't matter anyway, because I'm not leaving." I said stubbornly, folding my arms and leaning back in my chair. "Even Renee finally agreed that it was my choice to stay or go. But I got a text from her a few minutes ago, saying that Charlie isn't happy with my decision."

"Of course he isn't happy. He's going to want to keep you safe, and you refusing to leave is going to make him even more worried about you." Emmett said, contributing seriously to the conversation for the first time.

Frowning, I stared down at the table. I hadn't thought about it like that. That was more logical than thinking that Charlie didn't want me around anymore.

"So why were you crying when you got the text?" Alice asked me, squeezing my shoulders sympathetically.

"I thought that Charlie didn't want me around anymore." I admitted, shaking my head in disbelief. "Stupid me."

"Bella, you're many things, but stupid is not one of them." Edward remarked quietly.

I frowned as I digested his words, not understanding his cryptic comment. It could be taken as an insult or a compliment, and I glanced up at him. But his head was turned away from me, so I couldn't read his expression.

"So what are you going to do about your Dad?" Jasper asked, breaking the sudden awkward silence.

"I don't know." I sighed, looking down at the table. "Renee told me that Charlie wants to talk to me when he gets home from work. But whatever happens, I'm not leaving Forks."

Everyone seemed to recognise that my decision was final, so they didn't reply. I had to admit that I was relieved that I'd told them about my parents as their advice had given me some clarity, but I was also a little confused. Why did they have so much concern for my safety, but none for their own?

Glancing up the table, I noticed that the cafeteria was emptying. "It's the end of lunch already?" I asked incredulously, attempting to stand up, though it was proving to be a challenge as I was still in the steel grip of Alice.

Sensing that I wanted to get up, Alice removed her arm from around me, allowing me to rise to my feet.

I waited for them to rise too, but none of them stood up.

"Aren't you coming to Biology?" I asked them, confused.

Edward finally met my gaze, and he shook his head. "No, we don't want to go to Biology this afternoon."

"Hey, I know that having Biology twice in one day is horrible, but it's bearable." I commented, grinning at him.

Edward returned my smile with a small one of his own. "It's healthy to ditch class now and then." He told me, shrugging his shoulders.

"You guys must have death wishes." I remarked, eyeing them suspiciously.

At my comment, they all exchanged grins, and Emmett murmured, "Not unless we're already dead."

"You're still new students, technically. You'll get into a lot of trouble for ditching after only being here a short while." I continued, ignoring Emmett's remark.

None of them seem bothered by the threat of getting into trouble, and I sighed, exasperated. I couldn't believe that they were going to ditch Biology, leave me on my own _and_ get into trouble.

"You're always welcome to join us." Jasper offered, smiling up at me.

"Thanks, but no thanks." I said dryly. "Charlie would kill me if he found out."

"Then we'll make sure we don't get caught." Emmett commented, giving Jasper a high five.

"I'd like to see you try and avoid getting caught. There are no secrets in Forks." I warned them, which made them all grin again.

Rolling my eyes, I glanced at my watch, and saw that class started in two minutes. I had to get going. I knew that my attempts to persuade them hadn't worked, so I bid them a hasty goodbye and sped off to the Biology lab.

When I arrived, Mr Banner was setting up some equipment on his desk, but I couldn't see what it was, because his back blocked it.

Frowning, I slumped down onto my chair, gloomy about the lesson ahead.

Moments later, Mr Banner silenced the class, and turned around. In his hands, were vials of thick, red liquid.

The viscosity and the colour of the liquid gave away immediately what it was. Blood.

I could feel my hands start to clammy, and I began to feel sick. I was the type of person who felt ill at the sight of blood, and fainted.

I could already feel the sheen of cold sweat on my face, and I clasped my trembling hands together, taking deep breaths to calm myself.

And then Mr Banner wrecked my attempt at a composed façade. He placed the vials down, but one of them spilt over, and blood gushed over the surface of the table.

"Shoot." He muttered, glancing up at me. "Bella, could you get me some—"

But he broke off when he saw the state I was in. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked me anxiously.

"No Sir, I feel sick." I whispered, grasping the edge of the table as the room began to spin.

"Daniel, take her to the medical room." Mr Banner commanded. "And Jenny, get me some cloths to clear this up."

Daniel, a friend of mine, came over to me and helped me to my feet. He draped his arm around my waist and began to guide me outside. My disorientated state made my imperfect balance worse, and we both stumbled as we tried to make our way out of the building.

The moment the cold, outside air hit my face, my dizziness grew worse, and I clutched at my head with my hands, trying to bring myself out of my state.

"Bella? Can you hear me?" Daniel asked me urgently, but his voice was a distant echo. My whole self was locked in the memory of the blood spilling out over the surface of the table.

Suddenly, the spinning sensation intensified, blending my surroundings together till they were a blur. My eyes closed to block out the dizziness, but it made the spinning worse, and the image of the blood burned beneath my eyelids. I could feel my body swaying as the blur of images got faster, racing around my head in frenzy.

I felt my head hit the hard concrete, and then everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

The pounding in my head eventually brought me out of the darkness. The spinning had stopped, but I didn't have the strength to open my eyes. I tried to move my head instead, but the attempt stung, so I kept still.

"Bella? Oh God, please wake up!" I heard Daniel whisper to me, and he shook my body gently. The gesture jolted my body, and I had to stop myself from crying out.

"Bella!" I heard an urgent voice shout from the distance. "What did you do to her?"

I felt someone kneel beside me, and cool fingertips gently touched my forehead.

The cold touch and the velvet voice could only belong to one person: Edward.

"I didn't do anything!" Daniel stammered, sounding frightened.

"You must have done something if she's knocked unconscious!" I heard Edward hiss, still touching my forehead. The coolness of his fingers was what my raging head needed, and I welcomed his soothing touch.

"Edward, calm down." Another voice remarked, and the calming tone gave the identity of the person away instantly: Jasper had joined them.

"I agree. Edward, getting angry and ripping Daniel's head off won't help Bella. In fact, your yelling is only making her headache worse." Another voice piped up. Alice.

After trying to open my eyes during their conversation, I felt my eyelids begin to flutter, and I finally managed to open my eyes. My sight was bleary, but I could make out Edward's face hovering above mine, his topaz eyes clouded in concern.

However, when he noticed that I was awake, a relieved smile lit up his face. "Hey you." He whispered.

I tried to form a reply, but I couldn't speak, which panicked both me and Edward, and his head whipped towards Alice. "What—"

"She's dazed. She must have hit her head pretty hard." Alice said softly, and Edward turned his gaze on Daniel, his eyes narrowing.

"What happened?" He demanded, withdrawing his hand from my face and grabbing the collar of Daniel's shirt.

"We were in Biology and Mr Banner spilt a blood vial, which made Bella sick. So I took her outside, and she collapsed. I think she hit her head on the concrete." Daniel said quickly, and Edward's glare deepened.

"Why didn't you catch her?" He hissed.

"Sh-she went too fast, and I…t-tried but she just…f-fell." Daniel stuttered, and I saw Edward's grip tighten on his shirt.

"But you had your arm around her!" He reminded him furiously. "Why couldn't you hold her up?"

"Edward." Another voice warned, and I recognised the soft voice. It was Rosalie. "This isn't helping."

Edward sighed, and released Daniel's shirt from his grasp. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Yeah Edward, screw the argument. Let's get straight into the fight and beat the shit out of this punk for letting Bella get hurt." A loud booming voice laughed; Emmett was here too.

"Emmett, it's bad enough that Edward's worked the poor kid up, don't make it worse!" Rosalie snapped at her boyfriend, and he rolled his eyes.

Ignoring his siblings, Edward leaned closer to me. "Bella, where did you hit your head?" He asked me softly.

But I couldn't reply. I could barely keep my eyes open.

"She hit it there." And then I felt Daniel jab the tender part of my head.

I couldn't stop myself from tearing up then, and I whimpered. Edward immediately knocked Daniel's hand away, and snapped, "Don't touch her!" His cold fingers gently touched the sensitive spot on my head, and I felt my body relax.

"Bella, you have a small bump from the fall, and I think you need to go to the hospital." Edward said to me quietly. "You might have concussion."

"Okay." I managed to whisper, my eyes closing again.

"Don't close your eyes Bella!" Edward exclaimed, alarmed, and he pressed his hand against my cheek. My eyes instantly opened.

"Carlisle will need to examine her." Alice said quietly.

"But Mr Banner told me to take her to the medical room!" Daniel protested, and Edward's eyes left mine to glare at him.

"But seeing as Bella may have concussion, _we_ are going to take her to the hospital. Now run along back to class!"

"But—"

"Go!" Edward roared, and I heard Daniel scurrying away.

"You're going to have to tell Mrs Cope that we're taking her to the hospital." Alice murmured to Edward.

"Can't someone else do it?" He sighed, looking reluctant to leave my side.

"No, she won't let Bella leave unless you ask for permission." Alice replied, sounding confident.

I felt Edward stand up, but I didn't hear him walk away. I knew he must have though, because Alice took his place, kneeling beside me and placing her hand against my cheek, like Edward had done.

"Stay with us Bella." She murmured to me, and I tried to smile, to reassure her. But my face felt like it was frozen.

"Okay, we can go." I heard Edward announce a few moments later, and I was surprised. He'd returned quicker than I thought he would. "We'll take her in my Volvo, but someone's going to have to take her truck back to her house."

If I could utter more than one word, I would have protested. But I just didn't have the strength.

"I'll take her truck back to her house…because…well…y'know." Jasper muttered, sounding embarrassed.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Alice asked, her hand leaving my face, only to be replaced by Edward's again.

"No, you need to be with Bella. She's your best friend."

"I'll come with you Jasper." I heard Rosalie offer.

"Okay Jasper, you and Rosalie will take Bella's truck back to her house, and then wait for us to pick you up." Edward instructed. "Alice, you're going to drive my Volvo—"

"-You're letting someone else drive your Volvo! Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Emmett asked, shocked.

Edward ignored him. "I'll lay Bella down in the backseat with me, and Emmett, you'll sit in the passenger seat. Then we'll drive Bella home afterwards, okay?"

Everyone agreed, except Emmett. _Of course_. "How come the pixie gets to drive?" He demanded, and Edward rolled his eyes.

"Emmett, you'd be the last person I'd trust with my car. I've seen the way you drive your jeep, and there is no way that you're driving my car like that!"

"What's wrong with my driving? Rose babe, you like my driving right?"

"Well Emmett…it's certainly interesting." Rosalie replied dryly. "But I agree with Edward, you'd be the last person to drive my convertible."

"First you make fun of my jokes, and now it's my driving! What next? My hair!"

"Don't get me started on your hair." Alice piped up, giving me a sly wink. I felt my lips twitch as I tried to form a smile.

"My hair is—"

"Shut up Emmett!" His family hissed.

"We need to get Bella to the hospital now." Edward added, and then I saw Rosalie and Jasper leaning over me.

"Get better soon Bella." Rosalie whispered, patting my shoulder gently.

"Sorry that we couldn't come with you." Jasper murmured, as they both backed away from me.

"S'okay." I managed to whisper again, and suddenly, I felt Edward lifting me up from the floor.

"Hold on Bella." He whispered, cradling me close to his chest as he began to walk.

"Edward…" I heard Emmett murmur warningly.

"He's fine." Alice stated defensively, before Edward could say anything.

In my confused state, I didn't have a clue what they were on about, and I felt my eyes closing again. Edward's steady walking was slowly lulling me to sleep. His movement wasn't even jilting my body, and already, I could feel the pain in my head fading.

After walking for about a minute, I felt Edward stop, and I heard a car door open. I felt myself being lowered down onto a soft surface, which I presumed was the backseat of Edward's Volvo.

I heard another car door open, and then my head was lifted gently by a now familiar set of cool hands. When my head was lowered back down, it met another surface. Edward's lap.

I opened my bleary eyes, and saw Edward gazing down at me. "It's okay, Alice says it's safe for you to go to sleep." He whispered to me, tenderly brushing my hair away from my forehead.

I hadn't heard Alice say anything, but I trusted them, and finally, I fell into a slumber.

~I~

When I woke up, I was back in Edward's arms again, and he was walking towards the hospital. My eyelids fluttered, and I tried to stay awake as we made our way into the building.

When I heard the entrance door slam into the wall, I flinched.

"Edward!" I heard Alice scold. "Be careful!"

Edward remained silent, but I heard Emmett chuckle.

The bright lights in the hospital reception blinded me, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Oh my!" I heard a female voice suddenly gasp, presumably the receptionist.

"We need to see Carlisle Cullen." I heard Edward say.

"He's in examining room 2B, may I ask why you need to see him?" The receptionist asked, but I felt Edward already walking away.

I slowly opened my eyes again, and saw the receptionist scowling at Edward. "Hey!" She called, and Alice stepped into view.

"I apologise for my brother. It's just that his girlfriend's fainted, and he's worried about her. Carlisle's our father."

I was too dazed to analyse why Alice had referred to me as Edward's girlfriend, so I let my eyelids close. The last thing I remembered was Edward murmuring, "We're almost there Bella," before I drifted off to sleep.

~I~

When I next awoke, my head felt clearer, and I blinked as I saw a blonde, handsome man hovering above me, his topaz eyes gazing into mine.

"Hello Isabella." He said pleasantly, and I blinked again. "I'm Doctor Cullen, how are you feeling?"

I couldn't believe that this man was the Cullen's adopted father. "It's Bella." I found myself saying, and I swear I could hear Edward chuckle quietly. "And I'm good, I think."

"Okay then Bella." Doctor Cullen said, smiling at me as I sat up on the bed that I was laying on. "You have a small bump on the side of your head. Fortunately, you don't have concussion, but the area around the bump is bruised, so you'll have to take some painkillers."

"Fantastic." I murmured, and this time I heard Emmett laugh.

"I need to check your vitals Bella." Doctor Cullen told me, withdrawing a small torch from his pocket to shine in my eyes. "Follow my finger."

I followed his finger to the left, to the right, then up and down. I was used to this.

"Your vitals look good." He said, pocketing his torch. "You'll be fine. Excuse me while I go and collect your medicine."

"Thank you Doctor Cullen." I mumbled, and he smiled at me as he left the room I was in.

Now that he was gone, I finally turned my attention to his foster children, who were on the other side of the room. Alice was sitting on a counter next to Emmett, swinging her legs as she smiled at me, and Edward was leaning against the wall, his topaz eyes studying me intently.

Uncomfortable under his gaze, I lowered my eyes to my lap.

"You bloody scared us Bella!" I heard Emmett remark, and I raised my head to meet his gaze. He was grinning, amused by my predicament, and I scowled.

"It's not my fault that Mr Banner spilt that blood everywhere." I muttered, disgruntled.

"So you faint at the sight of blood?" Alice asked me, looking just as amused as her brother.

"I faint at quite a lot of things Alice." I admitted sheepishly. "You'll get used to my disorder after a while."

"So you're a klutz _and_ a fainter?" Emmett asked, gleeful at this new information.

"You forgot accident-prone." I said with a sigh, which made him laugh.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward's brow furrow slightly. I couldn't tell if he was concerned or angry.

Before I could question him, the ward door opened. I expected to see Doctor Cullen, but Doctor Johnson walked in. I was a frequent patient of his.

"Good afternoon Bella!" He said, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Julie told me that she saw you. What did you do this time?"

"I fainted, and hit my head on some concrete." I replied, which made him laugh.

"Oh Bella, what's Charlie going to do with you? Here, I have your medical records for Doctor Cullen."

"Is he adding this incident to it?" I asked incredulously. "Is that necessary? My records are large enough!"

Chuckling, Doctor Johnson placed my records, which were stuffed full of papers, on the counter beside Emmett.

"You're going to need a second one soon." He commented, and I sighed.

"I'm on my third in Phoenix." I said gloomily.

"Jeez Bella, you really are accident-prone aren't you?" Emmett commented, looking at the size of my records.

"She's a regular patient, but also our favourite one." Doctor Johnson told him with a wink, before he withdrew his pager from his coat, which had started to beep. "That's me. I'll see you later Bella, get better soon!"

Once he'd left, Emmett picked up my medical records.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. "Put them down, they're confidential!"

But Emmett, being Emmett, ignored me, and he began to flip through my files. "You were in the middle of an armed robbery? Holy shit! How'd that happen?"

Both Edward and Alice looked at me in alarm, and I blushed.

"Jacob and I were in the bank because he wanted to withdraw some money" I began, looking away from them. "Then a robber came in and threatened everyone with a gun. Charlie and the police arrived almost immediately, and the robber was arrested. As I was leaving, I fell down the marble steps outside and sprained my wrist. That's why it's been recorded."

"Nice." Emmett said, grinning again as he flicked to another page. "Motorcycles? Didn't think you of as a bike chick Bella. What happened?"

"Jacob fixed up some motorbikes and we thought it'd be a good idea to race them in the middle of the night. My lights went out so I couldn't see, and then I crashed into a tree and cut my head open." I recalled, touching the place where I knew my scar resided, though fortunately, my hair concealed it. "Charlie still doesn't know about the bikes, so not a word, okay? He thinks I fell down the stairs and cracked my head open on the banister."

"Your secret is safe with me." Emmett replied reassuringly. "Whoa, you've been in four car accidents? Maybe we should add danger-magnet to your list."

"I agree." Edward murmured, and I glanced over at him to see him still gazing at me. This time, I could see that he was concerned. His expression mirrored Alice's exactly.

"Guys, don't worry about me." I told them dismissively, waving my hand. "I'm always involved with accidents that happen here. Maybe you shouldn't hang around with me."

Alice and Emmett rolled their eyes at that, while Edward stayed silent.

"Save yourselves while you can." I said jokingly, attempting to lighten the mood.

"We're not going anywhere Bella." Alice stated, smiling warmly at me. "We're in no danger from you."

"Yeah, we're pretty much indestructible." Emmett added, closing my medical records.

I wasn't sure what to make of that remark, and I glanced at Edward again. But his expression was impossible to decipher.

Fortunately, the ward door opened again, and Doctor Cullen swept in, holding packets of Tylenol and some other painkillers.

"Here's your medication Bella." He said, giving me the packets. "Start with the Tylenol, but if your head pain doesn't subside follow the instructions inside the other packets."

"Thank you Doctor Cullen." I said quietly, smiling at him.

"You're welcome Bella." He replied, inserting another file into my medical record and picking it up. "You're free to go."

After I thanked him again, Doctor Cullen bid his family goodbye, and then left the room.

I went to stand up from the bed, but Edward was suddenly in front of me, preventing me from rising. I wasn't even given the chance to speak before he lifted me into his arms.

"What the—what are you doing?" I demanded as he began to walk out of the room.

"Carrying you." He replied simply, and I scowled.

"I am perfectly capable of walking! I have a bruised head, not concussion!" I snapped, beginning to struggle in his arms.

I didn't really mind being in his arms, of course, but I was furious that he believed I was incapable of looking after myself. It felt humiliating, having him carry me out of the hospital.

"Bella, I'm not about to risk your health even more, so please let me carry you."

"But—"

"Humour me." Edward said, interrupting me as he turned his scorching golden eyes on me.

Immediately, I felt my resolve slipping away. "Fine." I sighed.

"It's not that bad Bella." Alice piped up. "It was either carry you or put you in a wheelchair."

"I'm not an invalid." I commented. I'd intended my tone to be sharp, but Edward's eyes were still on me, and I couldn't find it in me to argue.

I was however annoyed with myself that I'd let myself be persuaded so easily, so I didn't speak as Edward left the hospital.

Once we were by his car, he lowered me into the passenger seat, and then he got into the driver's seat, leaving Emmett and Alice to sit in the back.

It couldn't be denied that the car ride was awkward; no one was speaking.

Out of the periphery of my eye, I saw Edward sigh, and he switched on his car's CD player. Classical music began to play, and I was surprised that I recognised the piece.

"Clair de Lune?" I questioned, beginning to smile.

"You know Debussy?" He asked, smiling in response.

"Yes, this is one of my favourite songs." I replied quietly, relaxing in my seat as the music began to calm me.

Minutes later, we pulled up outside of my house. My truck was parked in its usual spot on the driveway, and Jasper and Rosalie were standing beside it.

Edward was the first one out of the car, and he walked around to open my door for me. Blushing, I climbed out of the car, and I murmured my thanks.

"You're welcome." He said softly, and then Rosalie and Jasper were standing next to us.

"You alright Bella?" Rosalie asked in concern, and when I nodded, both her and Jasper smiled.

A thought suddenly struck me, and I felt my eyes narrow slightly. "How did you know where I live?" I asked them, knowing that I hadn't told any of them that information.

"You're the Police Chief's daughter, silly. Of course we know where you live!" Alice chirped, and my face flamed.

_Of course they did._

Embarrassed, I looked down at my feet. "Sorry, of course you do. Anyway, um…thank you for taking me to the hospital and for taking care of my truck. You guys are too good to me."

"It's no problem Bella, friends look out for each other!" Emmett remarked, grinning. "Even accident-prone ones like you!"

"Thanks Emmett." I said dryly, though I knew that he was being sincere.

Laughing, he swept me up into a hug, and his grip crushed me.

"Can't—breathe!" I gasped out, and he lowered me back to the ground.

"See ya Bella!" He said, still laughing as he climbed into the backseat of the Volvo.

"Make sure you take those painkillers Bella." Alice reminded me. "Or you'll have a headache in the morning."

"Okay, thanks."

"You're welcome!" She said cheerfully, pecking me on the cheek. "See you soon!"

"Bye Alice." I called after her, as she slid into the passenger seat of the Volvo.

"I hope your head feels better soon, and don't scare us like that again!" Rosalie remarked, which made me laugh.

"I'll try not to Rosalie."

Smiling, Rosalie joined Emmett in the backseat of the Volvo, and Jasper stepped up to say goodbye.

"You nearly gave us a heart attack, and that's not even possible!" He commented with a chuckle, as he climbed into the backseat.

I didn't understand his comment, so I just smiled and waved goodbye.

Four of the Cullens were now ready to leave in the Volvo, but Edward was still standing beside me.

For some reason, it was much harder to think of something to say to him. "Thanks for taking me to the hospital, and for making sure I was okay." I began, meeting his gaze. "It means a lot."

Edward gave me one of his crooked smiles, and I felt my heart stutter.

"But I'm not going to thank you for carrying me!" I added quickly, my grin mirroring his.

"I didn't expect you to." He commented, tilting his head slightly.

Now I'd run out of things to say, and I looked down nervously. I suddenly had no idea how to form a goodbye to him.

But Edward did.

I felt his cool fingers touch my cheek, and I glanced up. The gesture felt different to earlier, when he had his hand pressed against my cheek. Now it felt more personal, because I wasn't hurt any longer.

"Goodbye Bella." He whispered, lowering his hand.

I blinked as he walked away from me, and I could barely stammer a goodbye as he got into the driver's seat of his car.

Shaking myself out of my state, I managed to wave goodbye to my friends as they drove away in the Volvo, and I made sure they'd disappeared from sight before going into my house.

Inside, I caught sight of the clock beside the TV, realising that Charlie would be home soon, and that we'd have to talk about his ridiculous idea to send me away to Phoenix. I just hoped that he didn't shout; I didn't think that my head could take it.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you all for your support for this story! I am thrilled that my old AND new readers are enjoying it. I'm enjoying the journey too :) **

**I apologise for a lack of updating though; my mother is gravely unwell, and writing is no longer serving as an outlet for me. But I will never give up on my writing, or this story, I promise.**

* * *

My wish was granted.

When Charlie arrived home, the argument that I expected didn't happen. In fact, we barely talked about my decision to stay in Forks, as he was too preoccupied with the Port Angeles murderer. They'd killed again, this time in Somerset Village, which again, was situated just outside of Forks,

I'd thought that the incident would make Charlie even more determined to send me away to Phoenix, but he agreed with me that I had the right to decide where I should live.

He'd never admit it, but I could see it in his eyes. He needed me.

After our talk, Charlie looked like he could collapse at any moment, so I prepared some warm soup for him, knowing that it would send him off to sleep.

As soon as he'd eaten, he went straight to bed. It didn't take him long to fall into a deep slumber; the loud snores coming from his room confirmed that.

I washed the dishes, and then took some Tylenol, before heading up to bed too. I was just as exhausted as Charlie; today had worn me out. A hot shower was the perfect remedy to ensure that I fell into a deep sleep, so after taking one, I slipped into bed.

Just as I'd gotten comfortable, my cell phone vibrated on the dresser, which was on the other side of the room.

Groaning, I left my warm bed to retrieve it, silently cursing myself for leaving it on.

When I picked it up, I saw that I had a message from Alice.

**Hey Bella, I thought I'd let you know that my family and I won't be in school tomorrow. Carlisle's taking us camping for the next three days! Have a good day at school tomorrow, Alice xox**

Sighing, I switched off my phone before climbing back into bed. The Cullens were lucky. I'd do anything to get out of going to school tomorrow. I had Biology by myself, and I was fairly certain that I'd have to face the blood from the experiment that Mr Banner had prepared yesterday. Plus, I'd have to deal with a bitchy Lauren and an awkward Spanish lesson with Jessica.

_Great._

~I~

I woke up in a bad mood the next morning, still dreading school. Fortunately, my head didn't hurt as I'd expected it to. Taking the Tylenol before bed had numbed the pain, and I reminded myself to thank Alice the next time I saw her. Although, I wouldn't see for her the next three days, which means that I'd next see her on my birthday.

The thought of my birthday deepened the gloom I felt already. I certainly wasn't looking forward to that event. Birthdays meant unwanted attention and too many presents. I wasn't comfortable with either. And I still hadn't forgotten Alice's promise to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a blouse for my birthday present. She'd made me feel worse when she'd told me that I'd be getting more than one present from her and her family. The thought of the Cullens spending so much money on me made me groan.

It wasn't that I was ungrateful. I just didn't understand why it was necessary to spend so much money on presents. I preferred sentimental gifts that were homemade. But I wouldn't admit that to Alice, because she'd probably spent a fortune on presents for me already.

After I'd finished getting ready for school, I stepped out of the house, only to be greeted by the sun.

_Well it's about time you showed yourself. _

The sun rarely made appearances in Forks. A cover of clouds smothered the town constantly, which prevented sunlight from breaking through.

My drive to school didn't help my mood. Road works had been put up overnight, which made my journey to school slow, and someone cut me up on the highway. By the time I pulled into the school parking lot, I was a flustered, angry, shaking mess.

Seeing the empty parking space beside my truck didn't help my mood either, knowing that the Cullens were absent. I scowled at the place where Edward's Volvo was supposed to be, before trudging towards my first lesson of the day: Biology.

Just as I was about to enter the laboratory, Daniel appeared at my side. "Bella!" He exclaimed, looking relieved. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I replied, slightly confused by the concern in his voice.

"Thank God." He sighed as we walked into the lab. "I thought that you wouldn't be in today, seeing as you were in pretty bad shape yesterday."

"Daniel, I only fainted. It happens all the time." I told him, dropping my school bag on my lab table.

"But the bump on your head looked bad. And you had to go to the hospital!"

"It's just a bump Daniel. And Doctor Cullen gave me some medicine, so I'm okay." I said, trying to keep my annoyance out of my voice. I wished that he'd take his concern elsewhere.

Daniel began to shift from one foot to the other nervously. "I was really worried about you." He admitted quietly. "I would have stayed with you, but Edward sent me away."

I didn't fail to notice his wince when he mentioned Edward's name. "Not a big fan of Edward?" I asked him curiously.

Daniel shuddered, which answered my question. "He seemed like a nice guy, but yesterday afternoon, he showed his true colours. If looks could kill…and then his brother…" He trailed off to shudder again. "Have you seen the muscles that guy has? They're both scary. All of them are. Even the girls!"

I found his exaggeration of the Cullens amusing, and I had to press my lips together to hide my smirk. They weren't _that_ scary. In fact, they didn't frighten me at all.

Before I had the chance to say anything, Mr Banner entered the classroom, and Daniel left me to go to his table, leaving me in the back row by myself.

_Fantastic. _

~I~

Halfway through the lesson, Mr Banner approached my table. "Bella, how are you feeling?" He asked me kindly.

"I'm good Sir." I replied, knowing that he was referring to my reaction to his experiment yesterday.

"That's good to hear. Seeing as you missed the experiment yesterday, I'm afraid I've got to ask you to do it after school today."

My face paled. "Do I have to do it?"

"I'm afraid so." He replied, looking sympathetic. "It's part of your final grade, and I have to send the blood back to the Biology Foundation in Washington tomorrow. You're going to have to complete it tonight."

"What about the Cullens? They're going to miss the experiment." I reminded him, gesturing to their empty seats. If they didn't have to do the experiment, then maybe I could get out of it too.

"Fortunately, they did the experiment in their previous school, as they were placed in advanced classes." Mr Banner told me, and my shoulders slumped, realising that there was no getting out of it.

"Okay Mr Banner, I'll do it tonight." I whispered, defeated.

"Thank you Bella. I have a free period last so I'll set up the equipment for you. I won't be here to supervise you so I'll leave a set of instructions. I trust that I'll be able to leave you by yourself."

"You can trust me Sir." I managed, trying not to think about what I had to do in a few hours.

"I expect the report from your experiment on my desk when you've finished it. And I know that you don't like handling blood, but dissection is one of the most enjoyable parts of Biology." Mr Banner said, smiling as he walked away.

Groaning, I slumped over in my seat, resting my head on the table. I'd never understood why dissection was an important part of Biology.

What made me feel worse is that I had no idea what I had to dissect as I'd been escorted out of the lesson, and I made a mental note to ask Angela about it at lunch.

~I~

The rest of Biology flew by quickly, though my next lesson wasn't much better, as I had to endure an uncomfortable lesson with Jessica.

However, the lesson wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be. Jessica rarely said anything, which was unusual for her, but not weird, as I assumed that Lauren had given her strict orders not to talk to me.

The rest of the morning passed quickly too, and soon, it was lunchtime. As I walked into the cafeteria, I felt a pang of sadness, knowing that only half of the group was here.

Eric, Angela and Ben were sitting at the table that we'd sat at yesterday, but the sight seemed strange. The absence of the Cullens was clear, though judging by my friend's smiling faces, they didn't miss the Cullens as much as I did.

I had no idea why I missed them as much as I did. I had other friends.

I had to repeat that to myself as I joined Angela and the others. I tried to enjoy myself and engage in conversation, but it wasn't the same. I missed Alice's giggle and her crazy, yet witty, comments. I missed Emmett's booming laugh and his jokes. I missed Jasper's quiet remarks and his calming presence. I missed Rosalie's sarcasm and her scolding of Emmett. And I missed Edward's thoughtful words, and his crooked smile.

"Are you okay Bella?" Angela asked me, breaking me out of my Cullen reverie.

I tried to give her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine."

She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off, eager to turn the attention off of me. "Hey Ang, have you done that dissection experiment in Biology yet?"

Angela's face twisted into a grimace. "Unfortunately. Haven't you done it yet?"

"No, I have to do it after school." I told her, frowning down at the table. "What do you have to do?"

"You have to dissect a pig's heart." She told me, and I began to feel ill. "You have to identify the parts of the heart like the arteries and veins, and then describe their function. And you have to extract some of the pig's blood and place it in a vial. It's awful!"

I began to regret asking her what I had to do. "Okay, thanks Angela." I managed weakly, closing my eyes.

There was no way that I could do that without being sick or fainting, and I mentally told myself to grow up. It was only some blood and a heart. The experiment would only take me a few minutes, and then after I'd written my report, I could faint to my heart's content. No pun intended.

~I~

My last lesson finished quickly, much to my displeasure, so as soon as the bell rang, I trudged to the biology laboratory.

When I entered the lab, I saw that the equipment had been set up, just as Mr Banner had told me. All of the tools and knives that I'd need were laying on the surface of his desk, next to a tray, which was empty except for a piece of paper, containing instructions for me.

**Bella, you'll find the heart in the bottom drawer of my desk. It's placed in a glass container; please ensure you clean it after taking the heart out.**

_Come on Bella, you can do this._

After putting on some plastic gloves, I opened the bottom drawer, and saw the heart in the container. Trying not to gag, I took it out and quickly placed it on top of the table.

I took a few steps back, and tentatively turned my gaze to the container, trying to rid myself of the revulsion and nausea I felt as I stared at it.

When I was fairly certain that I could keep my feeling at bay, I stepped forward and opened the container.

The bloody scent of the heart hit me immediately, and I doubled over, clamping my hand over my mouth to stop myself from being sick.

After breathing deeply for a few minutes, my nausea ceased, and I clutched the table as I straightened up. But as I did so, I accidentally knocked the glass contained onto the floor, and it shattered.

_I was in big trouble._

"Well, what do we have here?" A voice suddenly spoke up, and I whirled around to face the doorway of the lab, where I saw an unfamiliar man, watching me with interest. He had long blonde hair, pulling back into a low ponytail, and he wore ripped clothing. I didn't fail to notice that the material was covered in small, red splatters. Blood.

Shaking, I raised my head to meet his eyes, and when I did, I gasped. His eyes were a deep, blood red.

"Who are you?" I demanded shakily, gripping the table for support. "You can't be here!"

To my horror, the man ran his tongue over his lower lip, as he looked me up and down. "I'm not hungry, but when the pig's blood saturated the air, I had to investigate where it came from. And it led me to you." He broke off to inhale deeply, and then he stepped forward into the lab. I wanted to move away, but I was completely paralysed by his stare. "Hmm, you do smell rather fragrant. Freesia, lavender…and is that strawberry I smell? Maybe I will feed after all…"

I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

The man prepared to take another step towards me, but was stopped in his tracks by a tall predatory figure that suddenly appeared in the doorway.

The figure lunged at the strange man, moving so fast that my eyes stung just by watching the swift movement.

As the man crashed into the wall, pinned by the neck by the figure, I recognised who it was.

Edward.

Snarling sounds were erupting from both men, and I backed away, horrified by the scene in front of me.

That was the worst mistake that I'd ever made.

A loud squelching sound was made when my foot hit the floor, and I looked down in horror to see the pig's heart underneath my converse, blood leaking out onto the floor.

The smell of blood hit me again, and it swathed all of my senses.

_Too…much…_

I felt my eyes roll towards the back of my head, and then everything went black.


	9. Chapter 9

"Bells? Wake up!"

With my eyes still closed, I rolled over, grumbling. I was having such an interesting dream, and I wasn't ready to wake up yet. I wanted to find out what happened between Edward and that man—

"—Bella! I know you're awake."

I felt someone prodding me, and I opened my eyes to see Charlie leaning over me. I couldn't believe he'd woken me up, just as my dream had gotten interesting.

"What day is it?" I found myself mumbling.

Charlie looked confused. "It's Friday afternoon Bella."

I bolted upright, nearly colliding into Charlie, but he straightened up just in time. I had no idea why I was sleeping in the afternoon.

"I just got home from work." Charlie continued, not noticing my bewilderment. "Seeing as you weren't downstairs, I assumed you were in your room. You must have been pretty tired if you went straight to sleep without taking your shoes off."

I followed his gaze, and saw that I was still wearing my converses. And then I looked down at my clothing, seeing that I was wearing the exact outfit that I'd worn in my dream.

"I'll leave you to it then." Charlie said, backing away to the doorway. "I've ordered some pizza for dinner so don't worry about cooking anything."

I nodded, still staring down at my outfit, and I barely noticed him leave the room. I honestly couldn't recall how I'd gotten into bed. The last thing I remembered was lunchtime with Angela, Ben and Eric.

I knew that I must have done the dissection experiment, but I truly didn't remember doing it. The only thing that gave me some indication that I'd done it was the dream I'd just had. Maybe I'd finished the experiment and felt so traumatized afterwards that I'd blacked out as soon as I'd gotten home. That would explain the weird dream with Edward and the man with the red eyes, and the flying sensation I'd felt afterwards.

Brushing it off, I headed downstairs to join Charlie.

~I~

The weekend passed by quickly, which was a relief, because I didn't have any homework or any plans. That meant I had nothing to do all weekend.

Normally I'd spend time with Jacob while our fathers went fishing, but I still hadn't been invited back to La Push yet. In fact, I hadn't heard a word from anyone there at all. Not even Billy had talked to Charlie. My father was too busy with his work anyway, so he wasn't worried about Billy's lack of communication. He blamed himself for Billy and Jacob's distance.

I however, blamed it on whatever was happening in La Push. I was determined to find out what was happening down there, whether they wanted me to or not. Billy and Jacob were like family to me, and I wanted to know what was troubling them. But I knew that I couldn't push them to tell me. I had to be patient for a little while longer, and wait for Jacob to contact me.

I didn't see the Cullens either, as they were still away on their camping trip. Eric, Ben and Angela had gone to a comic convention in Seattle, so I couldn't see them either, which meant I spent the whole weekend alone.

However, as Monday morning drew nearer, I began to regret wishing the weekend away, as it meant my birthday was approaching.

~I~

The shrill sound of my alarm woke me in the morning, and I reached out blindly to hit my alarm clock with my fist to stop the blaring ring.

At least, I tried to.

My aim was slightly off. Instead of hitting the alarm clock, I smacked the side of it, and I heard it topple onto the floor, still beeping.

Opening my eyes, I rolled towards the edge of the bed so I could reach out and grab the clock. But I had to stretch for it, which meant most of my body weight was over the bed.

Suddenly, I toppled off of the bed, hitting the floor with a loud bang, and I cursed as I rubbed my sore sides. I had no idea why I thought that having wooden flooring in my room was a good idea, being the accident-prone klutz that I was.

I hoped the weather would improve my already foul mood, but when I crawled over to my window and opened my curtains, I saw that it was cloudy. What else would it be?

I glanced down, and saw that Charlie's police cruiser wasn't parked on the drive next to my truck. "Dad?" I called, turning away from the window and racing out of my room to head downstairs. I knew that it was silly to shout for him when I knew that he wasn't in the house; the absence of his cruiser proved that.

As I expected, downstairs was empty, and I sat down at the table in the kitchen, when suddenly I caught sight of an envelope taped to the fridge.

I rose from my chair, and walked over to prise it off carefully. Inside, there was a birthday card from Charlie.

**Dear Bella,**

**Happy Birthday! I can't believe my little girl is 18 already. It feels like it was only yesterday when Renee and I celebrated your first birthday.**

**A lot has changed over the past 18 years, but what hasn't changed is my love for my daughter. I know that I haven't been the perfect father and I've certainly proved that over the years, but I want you to know that I'll always love you.**

**I'm sorry that I wasn't here to celebrate your birthday with you this morning, but I'll make it up to you after school, I promise. I'd tell you that I'd cook tonight but you know I'm not the best cook. So why don't we order a take-out later? I expect you'll have made plans with your friends, but I'm hoping you can squeeze in dinner with your old Dad.**

I had tears rolling down my cheeks as soon I'd started reading the second paragraph, not used to Charlie expressing his feelings like that. I felt touched by his words, and I crushed the card to my chest, hugging it to myself.

"I love you too Charlie." I whispered, leaving the card on the kitchen counter and walking over to the bin to throw the envelope.

Just as I was about to dispose of it, I was realised that it wasn't empty, and I pulled out $200.

I felt my eyes widen, stunned by the amount of money that Charlie had given me. I just couldn't accept it, and I vowed to give it back to him later. I knew that he'd refuse though; I'd inherited my stubbornness from him.

~I~

The first thing I saw when I pulled into the school parking lot was Edward's Volvo, surrounded by a large group of my friends. I saw Alice bouncing up and down with large packages in her arms, and they looked suspiciously like presents.

As I drove towards them, I could see that they _were_ presents. And then I realised that she wasn't the only one holding gifts. All of her siblings were holding presents, as well as Angela, Ben and Eric.

I tried to look excited, but failed. Miserably. As I pulled into the parking space next to Edward's car, I could feel his eyes on me.

Once I'd turned the engine off, I finally met his gaze, and saw that he was watching me intently, like he had done at the hospital.

My face flamed under his gaze, and I hurriedly opened my truck door, using my friends as a distraction to keep myself from thinking about him.

A loud chorus of 'Happy Birthday Bella!' greeted me as I stepped out, and I felt my face redden considerably more.

Alice lowered her packages onto the floor, before bounding over to me. "Bella!" She chirped, throwing her arms around me and hugging me tightly. "Happy Birthday!"

As much as I disliked celebrating my birthday, I couldn't help but be affected by Alice's cheerfulness. "Thank you Alice." I said warmly, hugging her back.

"We have presents!" I heard Emmett bellow beside us, sounding as excited as Alice.

"I don't think we have enough time for Bella to open them all now." Angela said worriedly, frowning at her watch.

"We can do present opening at lunch then, during the party." Alice replied, opening the Volvo door so that everyone could place their gifts in the backseat.

"Party?" I asked, surprised. "What party?"

"The birthday party that we're holding for you at lunch." Alice told me, beaming. "We have cake, candles and lots of snacks. I even bought party hats for everyone to wear!"

I was overwhelmed by the amount of effort that she had put in just for me. "Blimey Alice, how much did you spend?" I asked her, stunned. "I don't deserve any of this."

"Nonsense." Rosalie stated, replying for Alice. "You're only 18 once Bella. Enjoy it."

I wanted to argue, but the pleading look in Alice's eyes compelled me to keep my mouth shut. So I did.

Once everyone had put their presents in the backseat, I peered in, and was amazed by the amount of brightly coloured packages swarming the back of the car.

"How many presents did you guys buy?" I asked them incredulously, my eyes wide.

"We all bought one or two, but Alice went overboard, as you can see." Edward told me, smiling when I met his gaze. "She was going to get you triple this amount, but Jasper and I forced her out of the mall."

"I didn't go overboard." Alice said with a huff, crossing her arms across her chest as she glared at her brother. "I'm just showing my best friend that I love her, that's all."

I smiled, despite the fact that I was annoyed that she had spent so much money on me.

I smiled because she'd called me her best friend.

I'd never had a best friend. Not really. Jake and I were as close as best friends could be, but he was more like my brother. I was close to Angela as well, though I didn't consider her as my best friend.

But I could see Alice as my best friend. And she clearly saw me as hers too.

"We have to get to class." Angela reminded us, and we all set off towards the school. My first lesson was Biology, so I was with Alice, Edward and the others. We walked to the laboratory together; Alice chatting about how fantastic lunch was going to be.

Edward caught my eye as we walked, and he rolled his eyes, showing his exasperation with his sister. I tried to smother a giggle, but failed, and I had to turn away to conceal my blush.

_Damn him and his dazzling eyes._

~I~

As we walked into the Biology lab, Mr Banner caught my eye and waved me over to his desk. It didn't escape my notice that all of the Cullens looked wary, especially Alice and Edward, and I shot them a reassuring smile. They must have thought that I was in trouble, or something.

"I graded your experiment." Mr Banner told me as I approached his desk, and he passed me a sheet of paper. "Well done Bella! I was very impressed with your report."

I briefly looked down at the paper, and saw that the grade 'A' had been stamped at the top. "Thank you Sir." I replied, looking back up at him.

"You're welcome." He said with a smile, reaching down to take out a glass container from the bottom drawer of his desk. "I have to say that I'm relieved that you managed to complete it. I half expected to return to school and see you passed out in the laboratory."

I heard a few of my classmates laugh at his remark, and I turned my head to glare at them. When they stopped, I turned back to Mr Banner, and gave him a false smile at his weak joke.

As I did so, I finally noticed what he was holding: the glass container that I'd used in the experiment. But, I thought that I'd broken it—

— _After breathing deeply for a few minutes, my nausea ceased, and I clutched the table as I straightened up. But as I did so, I accidentally knocked the glass contained onto the floor, and it shattered._

But that had occurred in my dream I realised, as I shook myself out of my reverie.

After thanking Mr Banner again, I headed towards my lab table, my eyes glued to my report. As I eased myself onto my seat, I felt myself begin to frown, not remembering writing any of these words at all.

It certainly looked like I'd written it; the handwriting was mine. But I was convinced that these weren't my words. I wouldn't have described how the heart pumps blood around the body as scientifically as it was written down in front of me.

I tried to wrack my brains for any memory of doing the dissection, but I came up blank. All I could remember was the dream that I'd had afterwards.

Looking up from my report, I turned my gaze to the wall beside the door. In my dream, I'd seen Edward push the red-eyed man up against the wall, pinning him by his neck.

How could I remember parts of my dream, but fail to remember reality?

There could only be one conclusion: I was losing my mind. Either that, or I just preferred the dissection version that contained Edward.

Suddenly, I felt someone touch my shoulder, and I jumped in my seat.

"Sorry Bella." Edward said hastily, withdrawing his hand. "I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?"

"Fine." I replied distractedly, my eyes flickering between the wall and his concerned gaze.

"Are you sure? I don't want the birthday girl to be upset on her special day." He commented, flashing his beautiful crooked smile at me.

For the third time that day, he made me blush. Embarrassed, I tore my eyes away from him, and attempted to focus on Mr Banner's lecture.

~I~

After the bell rang, ending Biology, Daniel approached my lab table, just as I was getting up to leave. "Hey Bella." He said, waving his hand nervously as his eyes darted between Edward and I.

I had to suppress a smile at his evident fear of being in Edward's presence.

I glanced at Edward, and he looked just as amused as I felt. Our eyes met briefly, before I turned back to look at Daniel. "Hey." I replied, my smile finally escaping.

"Happy Birthday." Daniel said, giving me a small, shy smile.

"Thank you."

I turned to go, but he reached out and grabbed my arm. "Wait!" He exclaimed, and I looked at him in confusion.

"I wanted to ask you something." He began, looking nervous again. "Just…um…are you doing anything tonight? I mean…"

He trailed off as he glanced back at Edward, and I couldn't help but follow his gaze. To my surprise, Edward's face had hardened, but his expression was impossible to decipher. His family, who were standing behind him, were all watching Daniel intently.

Daniel cleared his throat, and bravely turned away from them to look at me. "I thought that you and I could go out and do something to celebrate your birthday." He finished quickly. "If you want to, that is."

"I can't tonight, I have plans with my father." I told him, hoping to let him down gently. It didn't work, and I instantly felt guilty when his face fell.

"But some other time, okay?" I added hastily, and his face lit up with a smile.

"Bella we have to go." Alice suddenly piped up. When I looked over at her, I was surprised to see that she looked angry.

"You don't want to be late for Spanish." Edward added, his expression mirroring his sister's.

Before I could reply, Daniel tugged on my arm. "I need to give you something before you go."

Again, I didn't have time to do anything before I was encased in Daniel's arms. I was too shocked to respond, especially when I felt him kiss me on the cheek. I was about to push him away, just as he released me.

"See you around Bella." He said to me, grinning as he spun around and swaggered out of the classroom.

_What the hell?_

Blinking, I turned back to my friends, still stunned.

"Looks like you've pulled Bella!" Emmett exclaimed, snapping me out of my shock. His grin was playful, but it looked forced, and it didn't quite reach his eyes.

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Daniel was all over you." Rosalie remarked, speaking before Emmett got the chance to. She was frowning at me, and I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"It was just a hug!" I protested, trying to downplay what had just happened.

"And a kiss." Emmett added; his false grin still plastered on his face.

"We're just friends!"

"Not for long." Rosalie stated, folding her arms across the chest. "You agreed to go out on a date with him."

"Whoa, hold on!" I exclaimed, holding my hands up. "I only said that I'd go out with him because I'd upset him."

Emmett and Rosalie didn't look convinced, so I turned to their siblings so that they could back me up.

The sight of the three of them shocked me.

Jasper was standing between Edward and Alice, one hand on each of their shoulders. Alice was looking away from all of us, her expression vacant, and Edward was gazing at her, his jaw clenched.

"So when are you going to go out with him?" Rosalie asked me, and I reluctantly turned away from Edward, Alice and Jasper to face her again.

"Hopefully never. I felt guilty so I made a promise that I have no intention of keeping." I told her, fiddling with the zip on my jacket.

Rosalie smiled at my words, and Emmett's grin finally looked genuine.

"Come on Bella, let's go to Spanish!" I heard Alice say from behind me, and I spun around to face her, only to see that her distant look had vanished. Now she was beaming.

I was confused by her sudden mood change, and I glanced at Jasper, though he still looked as calm as he had a moment before.

Finally, I turned my gaze to Edward. His head was bowed, so I couldn't decipher his expression. However, his jaw was relaxed, which meant that he wasn't as tense as he had just been.

As if he could sense me looking at him, he suddenly looked up, and he met my gaze. His topaz eyes were calm, and he gave me a small smile.

My face reddened, partly at being caught starting, and partly from his intense gaze. He seemed to be the only person who could elicit an embarrassing reaction from me.

Hesitantly, I returned his smile with a small, shy one of my own.

His smile instantly widened, and my smile instinctively mirrored his, until we both wore identical grins.

I didn't know why we were both beaming like idiots, but I didn't care. My face was beginning to tingle under Edward's scorching gaze, and it felt like sparks were zapping at my skin.

Someone began to pull on my arm, and I unwillingly tore my eyes away from Edward's, breaking the connection between us.

"Bella!" Alice chided me, still holding on to my arm. "Didn't you hear me the first time? We have to get going!"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and I resisted the urge to look back at Edward as Alice towed me out of the classroom, Jasper following behind us.

I spent the walk to Spanish in a daze, thinking about the way that I'd felt when Edward had gazed into my eyes. I'd never felt anything like that before.

_What was happening here? _

First the mysterious trouble down in La Push, the Port Angeles killer, my loss of memory of Friday afternoon and now _this_.

The way Edward had looked at me…the way his gaze had made me feel…

What was going on with my life? It had never been so confusing before. What had changed in just a few weeks?

Although, I already had my answer to that question: the Cullens had moved to Forks.


End file.
